This has been the latest theme of my travels as I continue from South to North (and also East to West along the isthmus) in Central America. Later, I will provide more descriptions and photos of where and how. In this post I want to touch a little bit on my philosophy.
In the city of San Salvador, El Salvador I found this monument to Pablo Neruda.
He wrote one of my favorite books in Spanish, Confieso que he vivido (translation: I confess that I have lived, the title in English is Memoirs). His spirit of adventure as he lived in Ceylon (Sri Lanka) and India have been an inspiration.
I am not adventurous though some might wonder considering this headline from May 17th:
In El Salvador, the Murder Capital of the World
- First, nowhere is totally safe.
- Second, mostly we have encountered the nicest and friendliest people in our travels
- Third, advancing age makes up for my lack of common sense. The need for a public toilet and a place to nap keeps me out of a lot of trouble.
- Fourth, I learn slowly from mistakes, but I do not dwell on unpleasantness.
Remember, headlines sell advertising. They generally do not reflect what is really happening at the level of local communities and travelers. Here is a headline from May 20 about my hometown, Tukwila, WA.
Tukwila named America’s most dangerous city
I mark my place. In San Salvador, I was at Kilometer 0 where all distances are measured in El Salvador. Later, I moved up to Kilometer 84 near the village of Juayúa.