Can I take you to...

Written by Bessie about El Salvador. Feelin' normal

A fun perk about being a foreigner is that people want to help you and teach you all about their country. Tons of people from our co-workers to our English students to random people we meet traveling, offer up help getting to know their country. It's great. Here's a familiar dialogue:

"This is my favorite, have you been here?"

Us: "No"

New Friend: "This is how you get there, and We'll go on Sunday."

Us: Ok, why, not.

This past Sunday our co-worker, Ruth, a sweet woman in her 60s, and her husband, Mauricio, took us to their beach club. (It's just like a golf club, where you have to be a member and show a card, but instead of a golf course, it's at the beach.) It was pretty much a fun Sunday afternoon with a distant aunt and uncle you don't see that often.
The Rock for which Playa El Tunco is named

The Rock for which Playa El Tunco is named

They took us to El Tunco, which means the pig, and is one of the 10 or so words hispanics have to refer to pigs. Why is it called pig beach? Not because a bunch of little oinking porkers were running around, but because the nearby rock is said to be shaped like a pig.

El Tunco is one of the many beaches that line the Pacific coast, and is one of the big surfing beaches in El Salvador. Some say it's on the list of the world's top surfing beaches, and they have a competition every year. Alas, we didn't surf, but we did get beat up a little walking on and getting hit by the rocks that wash ashore this time of the year.

Interesting thing we learned from them, how to crack open this funny fruit thing that has an almond inside. Who knew almonds looked like that? You learn the craziest things traveling.

(Kyle busting open an almond between rocks / an introspective pooch)

There's pretty much no better way to learn about a country than through locals. So next time you meet someone that's new to your country, consider showing them something

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June 17, 2008 Susan: Glad to hear everything is still going very well. What an adventure! You two are such appreciative guests too. Keep the update coming. I may not comment much, but we love everything you send.
~Susan

June 18, 2008 Bessie: awww, thanks Susan! It's hard to believe it's been so long since Puerto Vallarta!

June 24, 2008 mumsie: Wow! I can't believe all those rocks!! Not exactly the setting for an early morning run along the beach... (^@^) So, do the locals do anything with all those chunks along the shore? Like.... open up a Stone Store? : ) Thanks for sharing your world!

June 25, 2008 Kyle: We can open up a stone store called "Stoned in El Salvador"

June 30, 2008 Bessie: They actually do stuff with those rocks - they're clever like you! Some do the obvious, of putting them in gardens and stuff, but the son of the couple we were with likes painting scenes on them and then putting them in a garden or some place. We've seen locals selling pretty scenes of picturesque mountain towns and flowers and things.

Pretty clever :)

June 28, 2008 selena: that does not look like a pig. a snail maybe. =)

June 29, 2008 Kyle: Ya, I agree. Our hosts kept saying, "See, it looks like a pig!" I didn't want to disagree, so I just said "Oh ya, definately". Maybe Snail Beach doesn't sound too great...

July 27, 2008 silvia cruz: well I was just reading this, this beach is called playa el tunco because the stone "used to look like a pig"... "USED TO" but with the time and all the earthquakes, the stone had lost the appereance, and I thinks it looks like a Rhino.... a Whale.. it depends on the mood you are... LOL

July 27, 2008 Kyle: That makes sense. We probably just mis-translated something like "parecía un tunco" into the present tense. That makes me feel better. For a while, I was trying to find the angle that made it look like a pig and I didn't have the guts to tell our hosts that it looks more like a turtle.