Tazumal

After we went to San Andres, we went another half hour or so down the road to visit Casa Blanca & Tazumal. Casa Blanca was closed, so we moved right along to Tazumal.

Tazumal is located in the city of Chalchuapa and is the biggest of the ruins in El Salvador. There are beautiful flowers and plants everywhere in this country at all times of the year.

Here is a photo of what you see as you enter the park. This is a pretty big temple, but they told us that almost all of it is still buried as they don't have the resources to uncover it all. Also, I think they would need to take out a bunch of houses and a cemetery if it is as big as they say it is.
El chelito at the bottom of the stairs leading to the top of one of the adjoining structures.
That day I wish I had the hat I finally got in Guatemala.

The view of the main temple from the top of the other observation point. It was kind of interesting to see what was on top of this, but one could not go up the stairs there for a closer look at the little building on top.

Another view of the top of the temple. One wonders just what those short pillars supported. Perhaps a wooden platform with trapdoors, etc.

Here we are at tha back of the main temple

This is a reconstruction of the cabin where the man who started the dig lived.

A shot of where they are now excavating.

Another shot of the current excavation site off to the side of the main temple. What is seen here is not reconstructed at all, it is just as they found it.

San Andreas

Hey there gang, we are finally getting around to posting some photos from last December! Back then we took a day and went to the Mayan ruins close to San Salvador. It was a fun and relaxing day.

San Andreas is about a half hour from our apartment. This first picture is looking at a site they are just starting to work on.
They keep goats on the property, no doubt to keep the grass down. They do add something to the site, and it was fun to see the kids run about and having funs. We see quite a bit of goat milk this and goat milk that here, including soap.

This is the main site and under the thatched roof is where they are doing some excavating that is open to the view of visitors. There appeared to be some water in this one.

More pictures of the main site. Given what we have learned since, it is difficult to tell if this is just a small temple, or just the very top of a large one. If I were to speculate, I would say that there is a lot more of this underground, and this is just the top.

The view from the back. Apparently the smooth surfaces are where they have overlaid what they found with cement so that visitors can see what it looked like when it was built. But the cement work is recent.

Another shot from the back of the main temple, showing another ruin to the SW of the main one.

These are cocoa trees, like where your chocolate bars come from.

And this is the fruit of the cocoa trees. They don't actually raise much, if any cocoa here in El Salvador, but a lot of coffee. These trees are here to show the kind of things the Maya raised and ate.

The Walking Park

This is where we walk three times a week. It is a brand new walking park and they have done a really nice job.
The start of the trail
Here you can see the tiny trees that they planted. The trees are the tiny sticks next to the big sticks. It will be very interesting to see how much they grow while we are here.

This is very interesting. They wire these branches on the trees

The bamboo planter box

They even have exercise equipment. We have really enjoyed coming here to walk.

Christmas 2011

I love Christmas decorations. These first two pictures are from where we go grocery shopping.
These next pictures are from the mall close to our home. These were just amazing.

These are poinseitta trees.

This is one of the trees up at the tower just a block from us. The lights were so cool, they looked like melting icicles.

This is the giant tree up at the tower.

These are more decorations from the tower

Decorations at our house. We begin with our wreath on our front door.

These are a couple of the beautiful nativities that we bought here.

Our Christmas corner

Our Christmas tree

In El Salvador they celebrate Christmas with fireworks. We have enjoyed many beautiful displays since the start of December.

We Have a New Granddaughter

Chelsea Ann Hall was born November 15, 2011. She was 6 lbs 7 oz and 20 inches long.
Sabrina and Chelsea are doing great.
Lots of dark hair and bright eyes.
Already has Dad wrapped around her tiny finger.

We are so glad she is here.