Juayua

Posing at a 'mirador' one of the many lookouts on this extremely scenic section of road

Juayua
We rode to our original destination of Juayua in the morning, just about entirely downhill. We stopped in at the bank but the line was out the door so we didn't bother, rather we turned down the main street only to be met by the weekend market. The streets become filled every weekend with food stalls, trinkets and music. We stopped at the first hotel we saw, Hotel Mirador and since it had wifi, hot water and laundry service we decided to stay two nights. Hotels in El Salvador have not been as cheap as we have seen in Guatemala so we paid $30 for the two nights. Many other hotels we have seen normally charge $25, firm, a night and up. For the rest of the day we handed over our laundry, skyped with family, took a walk through the market and signed up for the town's 7 waterfalls hike to start at 8:30 the next morning.

It was just us and our guide on the hike and it started off normal on a well walked trail. We went to the swimming waterfall first as it would be less crowded than in the afternoon so that meant swimming in cold water bright and early. But it was pretty fantastic! Rigel got to climb up the rock and jump into the big pool, it was so deep. He also found a tunnel that goes 300m into the mountain that the water flows out of. We carried on the hike and turned onto another trail that was near vertical so I had to be helped up. This was the worst climb of the trail but far from the worst section. We went from waterfall to waterfall around the volcanic caldera until finally a stream fed by a series of small waterfalls until it descended off a shear drop. Time for the rope! Our guide pulled a long length of very comfortable to handle rope out of his backpack and down we went. For Erin, rapelling for her first time, though without the technical aspect of a harness and lanyards, was still a daunting challenge. Add into that the water falling over the rock we were descended making everything damp and splashy and you have the recipe for a real adventure!  At the bottom, all pumped up with adrenaline we hiked a short distance further past two stupendous waterfalls until our guide indicated our lunch spot. It was definitely a challenging hike, but also very rewarding.

Rigel posing at the entrance to a tunnel that runs into the mountain under the waterfall

Looking out from a tunnel that ran into the mountain 300m. The current was strong in there!

A large pool was formed below the waterfall by a dam. A favourite play spot for the locals

Our guide kindly took our photo as we posed below one of the dozens or hundreds of waterfalls of the day

Erin rappeling down the face of a waterfall with our guide keeping the line taught from below

After Juayua, we leave the ruta de las flores