The Path of Wilted Flowers

There is little doubt that a healthy tourism industry can prove to be highly beneficial to a country's economy. Some countries are blessed with architectural, historical or natural wonders. And fewer still can add peace of mind in terms of political stability and personal safety. And then there are those that can offer none of the above. Poor little El Salvador lacks the magnificent Mayan ruins found in nearby Mexico. El Salvador is unable to offer unique indigenous experiences as in neighbouring Guatemala. No pristine lagoons like Nicaragua, nor the safety or stability of Costa Rica. It's forced to try to push whatever it can. And the place that gets the most hype in the country is an area known as the Ruta de las Flores (Route of Flowers).

Located in the north-west of the country, the Ruta de las Flores is a 36 km stretch of road cutting through heart of El Salvadorean coffee country. Stretching between the towns of Sonsonate and Ahuachapan the scenery along the route is touted as the most beautiful in the country. That may be true. But it is frankly nothing to write home about. While the deep carved valleys and sudden drop-offs are pretty, they are pretty typical scenery in Central America. To make matters worse, the trees and underbrush have been allow to grow to the point that that obscure the view for the majority of the drive. Even from the elevated vantage point of the numerous buses that ply the route. The advertised "dramatic" scenery is anything but.But it's not really the scenery that is the prime attraction of the area. It is instead a series of 3 little villages scattered along the way, each with it's own prescribed character. Depending on which direction you're coming from, the town of Ataco is likely the first of these villages you'll come across. A little colonial village, it is advertised as Antigua before Antigua became famous. What a bunch of hooey! The town is quaint. Cobble-stone roads, central squares with pretty churches and a slow way of life are all on order. But that hardly compares it to Antigua. Not only does it lack any historical significance and fine architecture, but the looming volcanoes over Antigua are nowhere to be found here. What it does have going for it are some brightly painted mural on every available bit of wall in the village. There are a couple of hostels and a few restaurants, but a 5 minute stroll is more than enough to see everything up for offer, hardly warranting an overnight. What has become popular are the weekend food festivals. Local El Salvadoreans come up from the capital for the fresh air and cooler climate. But it overwhelms the poor little town and doesn't really ennoble the serenity of the place.

The unofficial regional capital could be Juayua. The Lonely Planet says “Juayua is awesome – no two ways around it”. I'm sure the author would more than happily stand by his review. My only wish is that i could have had some of the drugs he clearly must have been smoking when he wrote it. While i was underwhelmed by Ataco, i was down right turned off by Juayua. At least Ataco was colourfully painted. A brief walk around the centre of town would lead one to believe that the biggest industry in town is s**t. There are more pay toilets around the main square than restaurants in the whole town. That's not even mentioning the people. Without exaggerating, every other corner had someone passed out in the street. And a reported availability of tours to waterfalls and underground rivers was a no go as the only tour office in town was closed, plus there weren't any other tourists in the place to share the costs. And as a big old cherry on the top of my sundae, i got devoured by bed-bugs in a hotel reviewed as “19 spotless rooms” in the guide book. With such a remarkably horrible track record that was setting itself before me, i didn't even bothering checking out the town of Nahuizalco.

Talking to other travellers throughout Central America, there is an obvious trend of people not going to El Salvador. I really do feel sorry it's not getting it's fair share of the pie. Don't get me wrong, i'm not some 5-star princess unable to put up with a little grime. If fact, i've spent the majority of my adult life living, working and travelling in developing countries. Many of which are in far worse shape than El Salvador. But when it's most highly touted attraction is the Ruta de las Flores, it's easy to see why few come here.