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Hugeaux is an artist, photographer and world traveler

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PART #5 FINAL

DAY #5
6:00am (CST)
Hotel Villa Florencia
San Salvador, El Salvador
February 11, 2013, Monday

I decided to take a visit to Zacatecoluca, El Salvador this morning. I slept well again last night. It is still dark while I write this entry in the lobby of the Hotel Villa Florencia. I do not hear much traffic on the streets now, so now is a good time to catch the bus. This is my last day in El Salvador and I am getting a little homesick. I shall spend a couple of hours in Zacatecoluca this morning.

7:00am (CST)
San Salvador, El Salvador
February 11, 2013, Monday

I am writing this entry while sitting in the South Terminal waiting on the bus for Zcatecoluca. It is going to be another hot and busy day. I hope to completely exhaust myself today. The South Bus Terminal is located high in the mountains. I saw something very natural this morning at the station. A young mother was breastfeeding her son, totally naturally.

9:00am (CST)
Zacatecoluca, El Salvador
February 11, 2013, Monday

I FOUND IT!!! IFOUND IT!!! I FOUND IT!!!
I found my first representation of “The Slave” in El Salvador. I passed by a monument in El centro Zacatecoluca. It is the indication of the first black man. It is a combination of The Indian and The African. I feel very good. I knew this adventure this morning would discover something good. I am about 40 miles south of San Salvador. However, I do not see any people of African descent. It is funny, the city is called “Zacatecoluca”, but the people call it “Zacate”. The plaza is teeming with music and vendors. It is funny I have journeyed to Suchitoto, San Salvador, La Libertad and El Congo and I was not planning on Zacatecoluca and I found what I was looking for. It is a cool winter morning in Zacatecoluca. The sky is blue and the smell of fresh cut grass and food is very where.

11:00am (CST)
Zacatecoluca, El Salvador
February 11, 2013, Monday

I walked about 2 hours in Zacatecoluca. I headed for the mountains. I spoke to some of the locales whom mentioned it is impossible to walk, that it is about 5 miles to the base of the mountain. Zacatecoluca is very hilly. It is smaller than San Salvador, but larger than El Congo. It is very picturesque, as the building are situated inside of the hills. Everything either leads up or down, very few appear to be straight. I get a feel of ocean in the area, however we are about 20 – 25 miles from the ocean. Mango trees are everywhere. The people are very friendly and some are very dark with straight hair. It is hot with a cool ocean breeze. You truly get the feel of the Pacific tropics. Well, I shall not stay long here was I shall head back to San Salvador. It is about three hours roundtrip from San Salvador to Zacatecoluca. Zacatecoluca is a city with a heavy Brazilian influence. I saw a mural of the Brazilian soccer player Ronaldinho. It also has a store by the name “ La Curacao”.

6:00pm (CST)
Hotel Villa Florencia
San Salvador, El Salvador
February 11, 2013, Monday

Zacatecoluca was the highlight of this day. Unbenounced to me that I would find remembrance of Africa in El Salvador. Africa is represented throughout all Central America but little is known of its history in El Salvador. I searched the entire Internet in search of African history in El Salvador and the results were very few, however the images were nearly zero. Now, these images, I photographed of the monument in Zacatecoluca shall change history. How can I discover something that already exists? I can not, but I can give due credit to the City of Zacatecoluca to allow me to make this hidden gem known internationally. I was truly inspired to see that my expedition in search of Afro-Salvadoreans was totally fulfilled. The bus ride back to San Salvador was very scenic. El Salvador is a very mountainous area. I decided to get off near Palacio National, in San Salvador and do last minute shopping and photographing. I came across an indoor market which sold all sort of El Salvador souvenirs. I purchased a T-shirt and a fountain pen. I then hopped on the local bus and it put me off one block from the hotel. I needed a cold, cold shower for the hot, hot day. I finished up dinner tonight with a half chicken, some star apples, coconut water and bananas. I am getting the sniffles and believe I am coming down with a cold. I shall leave the Hotel Villa Florencia at 11:00pm tonight, as I have a 2:00am Tuesday morning flight back to Florida, USA. I shall miss this balcony and watching the lights on the mountain. As it is about to get dark, I shall have one last look at this beautiful mountain in San Salvador. Salut!! Salut!! El Salvador!!!.....interesting, I see a glimpse of the moon tonight. P.S. The trip from San Salvador to Zacarecoluca, roundtrip, was $2.00 (two dollars)….Wow!!!...I see bats tonight.

FINAL ENTRY
12:00am (CST)
El Salvador International Airport, El Salvador
February 12, 2013, Tuesday

I am writing this entry while sitting in the International Airport of El Salvador. The purpose of the expedition was to search for any African presence in El Salvador. I planned this expedition in regards of thinking that San Salvador would be the hub, while I adventure out (North, East and West) in search of African presence. I did not plan to adventure south of San Salvador, reasons unknown. To my surprise, this area which I did not plan would be the area that I found the discovery…The South. I shall like to Thank the people of El Salvador for such a beautiful country and hospitality. I was very apprehensive of this expedition, but I truly was surprised by all this Pacific tropical beauty. I went from beach, to the mountain, through the jungle and to the city and I learned so much about myself and the world. El Salvador is a country which is self-maintained, as vendors sell to locales and locales support vendors. There are some beautiful beaches here and the earth produces all kinds of flora and fauna. I hope my discovery of Africa’s presence, through the monument, awaken the world about Africa’s contribution to this part of The World. I shall like to thank God Almighty for giving me the eyes and stamina to see and enjoy his beautiful creation called El Salvador. I am honored to be walking amongst these hills, mountains and jungle as for only 30 years ago these hills were tainted with the blood of the men, women and children of The El Salvadorean Civil War (1979 – 1992)…May God Bless.