Piñatas in Santo Domingo de Guzmán - El día de la mujer indígena

Traditional Salvadoran dress - La volcaneña

Santo Domingo de Guzmán is a small village in the department of Sonsonate in western El Salvador. Contrary to popular belief, El Salvador is the home of three separate indigenous groups, descended from the Aztec families of Northern Mexico. These are the Lenca, Cacaopera or Kakahuiles, and the Nahuat-Pipiles. While the language of the Lenca and the Cacaopera is believed to be completely extinct, Nahuat can still be heard in some locales, and might even be undergoing successful revitalization, though it is really too early to tell. One such place where Nahuat can be heard is in Santo Domingo de Guzmán, a small village in the department of Sonsonate in western El Salvador. 

"Dale dale!" - Hit it!

This past weekend, I along with my cousin and some friends from the Tzuntecun Ejecat collective went to Santo Domingo de Guzmán to celebrate indigenous women's day (el día de la mujer indígena) with the people of Santo Domingo. It may not look like much, but this celebration marks a very important event in the history of Santo Domingo, as it is the first time the indigenous women of the village have ever been celebrated in this manner. With the help of a marimba duo from Izalco, some young volcaneñas, generous helpings of horchata sponsored by the mayor of Santo Domingo, a theatrical piece by the Tzuntecun Ejecat Collective, and a good old fashioned piñata 'to help us remember the children we once were', the indigenous women (and men) celebrated their unique cultural heritage as Nahuat speakers. Coincidentally, it was also El Salvador's national independence day weekend, so it was pretty great to see everyone celebrating their individual and collective identities on such a day.

Here's to many more of these celebrations:

Giving the piñata a good whack

The wonderful people of Santo Domingo de Guzmán and Colectivo Tzuntecun Ejecat

Puerta del Diablo and Panchimalco

Tourist day!

And what a day it was. Starting first with a productive culinary morning of homemade coconut milk, green mango chutney and a risotto-ish experiment (which turned out pretty good if I do say so myself), a couple hours later Abuela, Henry and I were off for a new Salvadoran adventure. First stop, Panchimalco.

Panchimalco is one of El Salvador's few historic towns, popular with gringo tourists such as myself for the visible Pipil and colonial influences. You've entered Panchimalco once you reach the cobbled streets and white washed houses with colourful doors. If you visit the town on a weekend, and head over to the church, you will meet Don _ the local Pipil expert who will greet you in the Panchimalco variant of Nahuat. He's a nice enough guy and since it's a tiny town he'll show you around the place and recommend sites like Miguel-Angel Ramirez' art studio and the Panchimalco Cultural Centre. I did not visit either of these, but Miguel Angel Ramirez for example is one of El Salvador's most famous artists known for his children's portraits. So if you're into art, his studio is definitely worth a visit.

The Panchimalco church is one of my favorite churches ever. And I swear I'm not really into churches at all. This one however, is made almost entirely out of wood, with the exception of the front façade which is made out of clay or brick(?). That last part needs to be confirmed. The inner floor is made out of clay and the interior structure is decorated with beautifully crafted wooden beams and altars. The front altar is another elaborate wooden structure which houses various figures of the Virgin Mary, Christ and other saintly figures. It reaches up to the domed wooden ceiling of the altar room. This church is the oldest surviving colonial structure of El Salvador having been built around 1725.

Panchimalco church and Puerta del Diablo

Facing the church, camera poised to take a picture, you will notice prominent cliffs to the left of the church. This natural formation is known as the Puerta del Diablo, the devil's door, and is also well worth a visit if you're up for a short climb that will provide you a full circle view of El Salvador and its major landmarks such as the San Salvador Cathedral, San Vicente (otherwise known as Chichontepec - the big breasted volcano), San Miguel volcano, and Ilopango - El Salvador's biggest volcanic lake. There are many myths and legends surrounding the devil's doorway, the most obvious one being that here lies the devil's entrance to the underworld. But as the entrance to the underworld is yet to be found, plenty of locals and gringo tourists make their way over for a spectacular view. You'll also get a taste for Salvadoran culture from the rastafarian moteros selling hemp products nestled on the side of the cliff, to the reggaetoneros blasting 70s rock at the foot of the cliffs. If you're extra adventurous be sure to wear stilettos for the steep upward climb.

Photies - click to enlarge

Panchimalco church details

A tiny doorway

San Salvador and Quetzaltepec volcano

El Salvador del Mundo - The Saviour of the World, famous monument

Antigua

Antigua, otherwise known as the Hoi An, Bonn, or the Pokhara of Guatemala. Backpacker central, gringo land, this is where you go to wander the streets in peaceful safety, marvel at colonial arquitectura and the enormous Volcán de Fuego, twist your ankle on cobbled streets and get ripped off for being a crazy gringa. I should complain I suppose, about how the influx of mostly American tourists has jacked up local prices, food portions and number of English speakers in the area, but then again it's because of the tourists that Antigua is so safe, so clean, so well preserved and so pleasant to walk in. After the panic of the country side (Google 'Petén massacre' and you'll see what I mean) and the political nightmare that is currently the capital, paying a little extra at the market is a small price to pay for a momentary peace of mind.

So what is Antigua?

The city used to be known as the capital of Central America (a quick geography lesson here, Guatemala is NOT in South America, it is in Central America. So is El Salvador). It was the capital of CA and the one of the several capitals of Guatemala (the two previous ones were destroyed by massive volcanic eruptions), until two massive earthquakes destroyed most of the city and the capital was transferred to what is now known as Guatemala City. Original. Today, by some stroke of random ingenuity, the people of Guatemala have conserved and rebuilt the ex-capital, and much of it can still be seen as it was 250 years ago. Some parts are very touristy, but most of it has remained unchanged. The architecture is Spanish baroque, wide one story houses with central courtyards and fountains, the tallest buildings are three story churches which in their surroundings look massive and grandiose. The whole place is a hub of commerce with even the likes of Burger King, MacDonalds and Dominos making a stage presence, but you wouldn't realize it due to the strict preservation laws forbidding any kind of changes to the architecture and any kind of propaganda to be put up. True visual peace.

And yet despite the flourishing tourism and commerce, the community is still very strong. Every year for Semana Santa (Easter), each block of houses works together to prepare and decorate their block for the Easter parades. Colourful sawdust carpets are prepared on the streets. Contributions of bread, toys, flowers, and yearly harvests are made to decorate these carpets depicting the story of the passover. I could spend pages and pages talking about this, but it's late and I don't want to get into it. It'll suffice to say it's beautiful and one of those unique experiences you'll never forget.

So overall summary, if you ever visit Guatemala, chances are you'll end up in Antigua. And you'll love it just like everyone else.