Homestay with an El Salvadorean Family

As I was eating some mangoes that I found earlier along the highway, some boys on bikes came, and were interested in me and my bike. I shared one of my mangoes.

One of the boys, Joel, who had bad burns (and skin bubbles) and pigment loss on his hands and arms, wanted to help me byible bringing me around to different hotels to find a room for the night. $15, $20, or $49. Really high prices for accommodation in El Salvador.

Juan and His Child Friends

I told Joel that I needed to find a comedor to eat. He invited me to his house where his mother could cook me something. When I got there, his brothers, sisters, and friends were fascinated with me and my bike. Whitest gringo in petite red shorts and a big smile. These kids didn’t see how gay I was. I introduced myself as Juan, as Eoin is John in Irish, and it would be easier for them to remember. They all gathered around Juan, asking questions, and wondering about different things on my bike.

Daniel, Patricia, Luis, Kevin, Claudio, and Ana Ruth. I translated each of their names into English pronunciation, and they thought it was hilarious, especially Joel (Ho-el) and Ana Ruth (Anna Rootd).

When I asked if I could take a photo, they loved it. They had a great time posing for a photo and then seeing the result. I thought it might make them feel weird. My helmet was their favorite prop; they all fought over who would wear it in the photo.

Joel’s mother, Haide, cooked me eggs, black beans, rice, and tortillas.

I wanted to do something nice for them, so I rode off to the tienda and got ten ice creams, and brought them back.   Haide had one too.

As it was getting late in the afternoon, the kids asked if I would play soccer with them. I said yes, and they burst into celebration, yelling, jumping, and running around. But I still hadn’t figured out a place to stay for the night. I told Joel that I should probably return to the beach to set up my tent before it was dark, so I couldn’t play soccer after all. That was bad news. He said, with his mother looking on, that I could camp at their house, underneath the roof. Haide agreed, saying I was welcome to stay. I was hoping for that; much better to stay with them than at a lonely, unsecure area on the beach.

So then we played football. 8 to 12 year-old football where one person has the ball and everyone chases. We also had fun taking more photos. Juan was a superstar.

Gay Juan with Joel.

When we returned, I found that Haide had moved their eating table to clear an area where I could set up my tent. The kids asked me if they could watch me set up my tent. They were still excited about things I was doing. As they helped me set it up, there were lots of Wows and Es Bonitas. They thought everything was cool.

Patricia and Ana Ruth said I should put my bike inside their house for the night so it would be more safe. I wheeled it into their two-room, dirt floor hut. The first room was where Haide slept and there was a small area where they had a tiny TV and a few patio chairs. The second room had two beds for the four kids that lived there (Joel, Patricia, Ana Ruth, and Daniel). No bathroom or kitchen. Those were outside. The “bathroom” was essentially a big sink to wash dishes, clothes, and where you could dip a basin into a bucket of water to drip over yourself without privacy. I didn’t see a toilet, although I imagine you would just go behind a bush in the yard. I did a pee in the yard, but I’m glad I didn’t need to do more. The kitchen was a pot over an elevated fire. Their house was made out of corrugated iron (roof and siding) and wood (frame). Chickens roamed free, taking shits everywhere.

In the morning, I left to eat and swim at the beach, to freshen up. I went to that same area where I was going to camp, with the long, thatched cabana. A guy came and started raking the sand, an odd, pointless thing to do. We greeted each other and started a simple conversation. After the initial friendliness, he told me that it cost one dollar to use the area. I told him I had only been there for about 30 minutes. He told me it’s still a dollar. I turned cold and started packing my things. Stupid guy, trying to get a gringo dollar, raking the dirt.

I returned to the family to say goodbye. I really liked them and I wanted to thank them for their hospitality, so as graciously as I could, I told Haide I wanted to give them $20. She accepted but didn’t want to take the money from my hand, so I left it on the table. She said that if I were to come back to Metalio, I was welcome at their house anytime.