The Trip: East El Salvador Replay

Fruits of the Forest

SaltyLips Emma Gibbons El Salvador

Snagging a wide one!

Escaping the ever-increasing crowds of West El Salvador’s right points we headed east to another of El Salvador’s dream waves. Needing a change of scenery after almost a month in a bustling fishing village, this new spot could not have been more different. A favourite wave of mine from the journey north, we returned to the same tiny homestay in the middle of the forest only a five-minute walk to the wave. Learning from my previous experience, we brought all our own food, timed the trip with a swell and prayed for afternoon glass-offs to avoid the hordes of morning boats. Continue reading

Return to West El Salvador

Home Away from Home

Fun waves!

Fun waves!

Two 13 hour bus journeys, two border crossings and a fading hangover later, Nathan and I arrived at our destination, a fishing village in West El Salvador. Back to my concrete cell above a shop, with a balcony overlooking my favourite wave, pupusas stuffed with various lava hot fillings and the best fruit salads of my trip. With pretty consistent waves, and cool locals, this was the perfect spot to settle down for a while for some cheap living. Continue reading

Mexico Sessions Tres

Magic Sessions and Chasing Sandbanks

Rosary dawny!

Rosary dawny!

With me still out of the water, on injury time, we packed up our tents and got back on the road. Rosary had convinced me to reluctantly purchase a tent, saying it was the only way to travel Mexico. She was right of course but  I did miss the comforts of a fan! Picking up two mad Irish lads Garret and Fionan that we knew from Indonesia, we scored some super fun waves,  experienced a yearly local fiesta and met some interesting characters. Continue reading

Mexico Sessions Dos

Crowds, Caves & Cool Locals

Fins Out!

Fins Out!

Licking my wounds from El Salvadors sea urchin population, and facing some time out of the water to heal, I braved the 26 hour journey to Mexico. I hadn’t finished with El Salvador, but I had definitely come off worse in our little altercation and it was time to reconnect with Rosary before she disappeared too far North. With the promise of fun waves and good people I was pretty excited. Continue reading

West El Salvador

Pancakes, Pupusas and Point Perfection

Rosary: point perfection!

Point perfection!

A failed attempt at hitchhiking, a flat tyre and two chicken buses later we arrived in the fishing town of La Libertad, home to El Salvador’s most famous right hand point. This was top of my hit list for the trip due to an amazing two weeks in October…and day one didn’t disappoint! Arriving at the peak of the swell, our session quickly beat those of East El Salvador to the top spot of best waves of the trip. Continue reading

Forest Dwelling

East El Salvador

Fun!

Point fun!

Everything was perfect…we were the only guests, we had our own cabina with two hammocks out front and the friendliest couple looking after us (we were in the middle of nowhere so they were our only source of food)…then THEY arrived. A car load of 8, beer-drinking, snakey surfers with Swedish chicks in tow. Of all the places to come to party, a forest by a perfect right hand point on a decent swell! Continue reading