AND SO IT GROWS

Internet, sweet internet. Hello my dears.

So much to tell. At the moment I'm  back in El Salvador, after a week long jaunt around Costa Rica with my bud, Leigh. After my last update, the pilot Rogelio and I indeed headed back out to the entrance but we quickly discovered that the channel had become impassable - instead of the normal rows of breaking waves with a teeny tiny little pass in which to scoot through, the surf had become one solid wall of breaking waves. Rogelio circled on his jetski, shaking his head and repeating "muy peligroso...". It was a no -go. 

It was likely to be closed off for a couple days and since the further delay meant I wouldnt be able to make it to Bahia del Coco in time to meet with my bud Leigh, I simply  buzzed back in and hailed Santos on the VHF radio. The Santos who had the mooring balls further into the bay turned out to be the same Santos I had met 3+ years earlier when I had been making a car trip through the country with some other sailor friends for an equipment roundup. Within minutes of meeting we were already making plans to explore the jungle together. We headed out for the first time just a couple hours later and made a few stops at various palapas stilted on the river. We ate boiled shrimp and mica and the locals taught me about the various fish that inhabit the river (including an insanely dangerous catfish that I'm told you must bite the tail of if stung by in order to stop the poison from entering the wound). To say that I've fallen for the Lempa River would be the understatement of all undertstatements - there's something so magical about being here. In the heart of old Mayan territory with volcanoes jutting up in the background, local families gliding by in old dugout canoes - it's ageless, timeless, mysterious, and peaceful. It feels sort of like coming home. 

Yesterday afternoon I got my outboard motor out and rigged up on the dink in time for a quick trip upriver before the sun set. Kids hung off the edges of docks, young girls paddled over with smiling faces, the colors melted away until we could barely see at all. I know I have to keep moving at some point but I don't think my time here is up just quite yet - there's still so much I want to see and learn about. It's not everyday you find a place that feels this special, don't want to let the magic of it pass me by...

Okay, off to enjoy the day. Have a handful of projects to tackle here and the boat is really due for some serious cleaning. She had a pretty good bash the last few weeks and the dankness level is sort of off the charts at the moment so trying to rectify that as quickly as possible.

Enjoy your day, friends.

Emily