Day Three: Waterfalls and Extreme Food!

El Tular to Juayua to Concepcion de Ataco

Juayua's white cathedrial overshadowed
by Volcan Santa Ana.

We awoke early to say our good-byes to our generous hosts and made the long trek back to the main road. From there we caught the 7am bus bound for Sonsonate and, eventually, the highlands. Our next stop was Juayúa (pronounced why-you-uh), a swanky little town in the shadow of the mighty Santa Ana Volcano. Low key and laid-back most of the week, Juayúa springs to the life on weekends as it plays host to the country's most famous "feria gastronómica" or food festival. Restaurant owners and chefs from around the region descend on Juayúa's central square every weekend to showcase their specialties, which range in exoticness from chicken and pork to frog and armadillo. 

Refreshing dip!

The bus ride was another long and warm one, so Jordan and I were really glad that Jed had arranged for us to take a dip in a nearby river. After meeting up with three other travelers and a local guide, we began the short hike to the "Chorros de la Calera," a series of waterfalls and natural pools skirting the sides of a lush canyon just outside of Juayúa. Along the way, we shared stories and travel tips with our new friends, three young women from the States who were all living and traveling abroad. The hike down the side of the canyon was breathtaking; all around us water rushed down the sides of the cliffs and into the river below.

We finally reached the first series of pools and jumped in; the water was exhilaratingly cold but felt great. The three of us had been sweating pretty much non-stop for the past 24 hours and this was the first real "bath" Jordan and I had taken in almost two days. After splashing around for a couple hours, the three of us had had our fill of the waterfalls and began the hike back to Juayúa to enjoy the food festival. We met up with Jed's girlfriend Flor and, along with one of our new friends from the hike, we set out to explore the seemingly endless rows of food vendors.

Mmmmm...frog.

Jordan and Jed decided on a set of chicken tacos, not the most exotic food in the world but a bargain at less than $3 a plate. I decided to splurge on a more exotic dish: an entire frog grilled with onions and garlic. It was surprisingly good, tasting a little like chicken with a tougher texture. It came with the requisite corn tortillas and a large side of "casamiento", a Salvadorian variation of Costa Rica's famous gallo pinto (rice mixed with beans). After sampling other various dishes, drinks, and deserts (including an incredibly delicious plate of fried yucca covered in maple syrup), we parted ways with our friend and the four of us headed back to Ataco.

Scroll down to see more photos, or click here to read about day four.

Exotic lunch.

Salvadorians pack the food fair.