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Sun Sep 29 2013: Astronomical Festival

Just a quick update: After a very eventful couple of days, we're travelling 35 kms south of Ahuchapan on the very scenic and windy Ruta de las Flores, which flows past a few picturesque towns in the heart of El Salvador's coffee crop region. Thankfully, very little drama - the weather was clear and the two-key hack job was working thus far!


Stopping for a scenic break beside a fruit vendor at the side of the road

Riding around Ataco, one of the towns on the Ruta de las Flores

The towns on the Ruta de Las Floras (the Road of Flowers) are supposed to be decorated with colourful flowers, but we are about a month too early as they're not in season yet. We saw many empty trellises in the park waiting to be adorned.


Arrived in Juayua, our overnight destination

Neda forgot to copy the hostel's address from the laptop to her iPhone...
RideDOT.com is environmentally friendly - we're paperless!

Parque Centrale in Juayua

The reason why we're staying one night in Juayua is because Neda read that there was a Gastronomical Festival every weekend in town. Seeing how I am trying to lose weight, she thinks this would be a great event to attend. I trick myself into mishearing that we are attending an Astronomical Conference. I always wanted to be an astronaut!


Not the astronomical festival - just a market.

The Astronomical Festival is a couple of long rows of makeshift kitchens and grills representing different restaurants and storefronts in the city. We're told that there are over 100 different places where you can sample the local cuisine. Most of the grills just serve the Salvadorean mainstay - a side of grilled beef and a sausage with some veggies on the side.


Billions and billions of years ago, the Earth was created from a great ball of fire

Mouth-watering presentation! Vendors offer window-shoppers a taste of their dishes on toothpicks

This is what we settled on - battered shrimp, baked potatoes and a side of grilled beef. Delicious!

After lunch, we visited La Iglesia de Santa Lucia, right on the main plaza

Santa Lucia is known for its large statue of Cristo Negro (Black Christ)

I'm not sure why this Christ is black, but I suspect it has something to do with a Madonna video. Did I mention the Astronomical Festival is sponsored by Pepsi?


Deep in prayer at La Iglesia de Santa Lucia

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