Exploring Suchitoto

Along with crews from a few other boats staying at Bahia del Sol, we hired a van for a trip to Suchitoto, a pretty, colonial treasure of a town about 2-1/2 hours north of us.  The town is known for it's vibrant art community, with numerous small galleries and cooperatives scattered about. 
We stayed at an amazing little hotel, the Los Almendros de San Lorenzo.   Owned by Joaquin, the former El Salvadoran ambassador to France and his partner, the renovated hacienda was a like an intimate museum displaying the owners diverse and extremely high quality art collection in every nook and cranny.

Stencil seen on doorways of homes throughout Suchitoto

The town itself was in an area which served as a stronghold of the guerilla movement, the FMLN, fighting the U.S. backed military junta government during the bloody 12 year El Salvadoran Civil War (1980-1992).  

"In this house, we want a life free from violence against women"

To this day the town shows a left leaning spirit, with women's rights issues, Catholic sisters working for the rights of the poor, and other indicators that the movement, while no longer violent in El Salvador, remains a watchdog for human rights and land reform.  

The Bravo crew spent one evening enjoying a few beers at the El Necio bar, a funky pub owned by Jerry, a former guerilla, with leftist posters on all walls, and flags of communist countries hanging from the ceiling.  Reminded Adam of coffee houses in Greenwich Village in the 60's and 70's.  Given the recent history, though, this had a much more real feel to it.


 

Monument to the FMLN in a local park.  Check out the little hollow on the ground below the sculpture.  (see detail below)

 Cindi enjoyed an afternoon at a women's cooperative, where they raise money making a variety of crafts with indigo, a natural dye from plants harvested in the region.  
Together with a few of the other women we traveled with, they learned to make tie dyed indigo scarves.

  

 
 

The town of Suchitoto is very well preserved, as both sides during the war agreed to spare the buildings from destruction.  We enjoyed our walks around, exploring the little side streets as we made our way down toward the lake below.  

Cindi, with the weight of the world on her shoulders!

A delightful mix of old and new technologies!!!

 All in all, this was a great excursion, where we learned more about El Salvador, her people, and history, within the context of a pretty, unique little town.