BLACKTOP TO GRAVEL: Good Bye El Tunco!

Good Bye El Tunco!

What a wonderful place to call home for a month. El Tunco was one of those stops that I know I'll return to someday soon. I enjoyed every day I was there, feeling enriched by the beach life, watching the surfers and the epic thunder storms and living in the moment, relaxed and carefree. Being there for so long I was able to observe the patters of the town, watch as the locals went about their days and how the weekends brought in the big crowds, surfers and party goers alike, from neighboring cities as well as far away countries. It was fun to eat at the same places everyday and meet and see the same folks. I felt as if I'd become a local my self at the end of my stay.
During our stay we had some friends come to visit for long weekends here and there and even six days at a time. Nate had some of his DC friends visit which was always great, providing us with an excuse to hang out more in the pool, swim in the ocean and hike the near by mountains. I had two of my close friends come down as well and it was really great to be able to share all the experiences together. El Tunco is so accessible and everyone was pleasantly surprised how fast they were relaxing on the beach after leaving the office behind. After a month in one place the views and reality of where you are begins to become normal so having our friends visit was a great reminder of how amazing it all was. Every body would light up at the first sight of the ocean from the room's balcony and I'd remember, yes, this really is incredible. I feel very fortunate to have been able to stay there for so long. On the flip side, it's so doable for everyone, you just have to go for it.
The month in El Tunco flew by. I was counting down the days until Taryn, my girlfriend, arrived, getting more and more excited to see her as each one passed. Before I knew it she was gone and I was packing up the motorcycle again, hitting the road. Nate headed back to San Salvador a little earlier than I did to prepare for a wedding he was attending back in the States and I said my goodbyes and hit the road, riding the 40 minutes or so into San Salvador. It was a nice ride, one that was full of reflection and memories of El Tunco. That was the first time I'd experienced that lifestyle and I will say it's pretty nice. I can see why people visit these places and never leave. For me however, one month was the perfect amount of time. I was excited to head back to our friend Ligia's house (where we first stayed upon our arrival to San Salvador) and get organized for the next leg of the trip. After Nate returned our plan was to head to Honduras and ride to the Caribbean coast where we'd hop on a ferry to the island of Roatan! After some minor motorcycle maintenance, repacking and loading, we were saying our goodbyes to Ligia, who was an incredible host the whole time we were in El Salvador. We all shared many great times together, hiking and exploring the volcanoes, eating wonderful meals, day trips to lakes and to the beach as well as many great nights out in San Salvador and relaxing at her apartment. Once again, I can say I have a wonderful new friend that I've met on this trip.