La Union, El Salvador

How long: 1 night
Stayed: Portobello Hotel
Travelling with: Susan and Andreas

Planes, trains and automobiles!! What a journey.
Got a collectivo from Leon to chenindenga. We had to be in Potosi to get the boat at 10.30am but when we arrived in chenindenga at 8am we were told there no collectivos going there...just the big chicken bus and that wasn't going til 9.30. So we had to get a taxi...for $40. Needless to say this did not help my mood at all.
Arrived in potosi which is a one street shithole to find that the boat we were supposed to be travelling on was not a ferry as I had been told...but a panga...fine for short trips but this was going to be over two hours. Then we had to wait for immigration to open and process our exit and then wait for a group of 14 people to turn up....which they did 3 hours later....by which time I was no longer able to speak with rage. One more hour to process them thru immigration and finally at 2.30 we set off. Straight into a massive storm. Driving rain, thunder and lightening and driving in circles to avoid capsizing. Joy. Arrived in La Union over 3 hours later soaking wet but thankfully alive. I was expecting an admission from Susan that maybe the shuttle might have been better..
considering the journey we had just had. But no...the mad woman was elated!! Amazing journeym..loved it! More proof she is totally mental :) Made our way to immigration and our first taste of El Salvador.
The rain as like nothing on earth so we were like drownded rats arriving into the immigration office. But they couldn't have been nicer. I was decked out in my sexy raincoat (black bin bag) and the immigration officer was loving it. Taking pics and generally acting the maggots. He even made us coffee as we were there so long avoiding the rain and trying to work out a way to get out of there. Certainly not what you'd expect from an border immigration office. We had planned to go straight from La Union to the beach at el cuco but cos of being so late the bus was gone and no taxi would take us cos of the rain and bad roads so we were stuck in La Union...which lonely planet had written off as one to avoid.
Susan had met a nice Chilean guy (Andreas) in potosi and on the boat (i was too cranky to talk to anyone) and he was also stuck there for the night so we teamed up and went in search of a hotel...a search made so much easier as he was our translator. Eventually found somewhere and quickly changed and went out for a much needed beer and dinner. Went to La Bahia which is basically the only place in town and this was even deserted cos of the rain. But we had the most delicious seafood meal ever!! La Bahia also the town nightclub so after dinner we popped over for one beer and a dance. Very few people there but they all having a great time so we joined in. And what a night. Great dancing and lots of $1 beers. Susan won a dancing competition with one of the local boys even tho she didn't know it was a competition ....and the prize...more beer! :) straggled home in the wee hours after a really unexpected amazing night out in La Union.Read more