I tried learning Spanish as my third language using apps in the past couple of years, and that didn’t work out at all. So, I looked for an immersive experience and found a Spanish school in Nicaragua where I could learn the language 1 – 1 and by the beach.
I checked United Airlines and saw that I had enough points for flights to Nicaragua (MGA) in first/business class. Never flown anything beyond Economy, so YOLO it is. Remembered the Excursionist Perk, checked the map, and saw that El Salvador (SAL) was right there next to Nicaragua. Booked ATL – IAH – MGA – SAL – IAH – ATL, because, why not?
I arrived at the ATL airport so early (4:30 AM) the United Club wasn’t open. This is the first time I’m using lounges, and I was skeptical if they even let me in (for flying business class internationally). My first flight ATL – IAH was a cultural experience. I am a small person so I had so much space! I had a momentary panic when I didn’t see a tray table, but the man next to me showed me how to get the tray out. This is on par with me thinking pepperoni was a vegetable when I first immigrated to the U.S.
The Spanish school was in San Juan Del Sur, a small beach town. My teacher was awesome, and I learned a LOT in 20 hours (M – F morning classes). I booked a homestay, meaning I stayed with a family for the week. My host made me food for all three meals, and I’m glad I experienced authentic Nicaraguan food and culture during my short stay. Neither my teacher nor my host spoke to me in English, so I HAD to speak Spanish even if I only knew a few words. I had so much confidence towards the end, I spoke with others (taxi drivers, etc.) in my very broken Spanish and they were all appreciative, and even corrected me when I spoke nonsense.
During the afternoons, I climbed up to the cliffs of San Juan Del Sur for gorgeous views. I consider myself a relatively fit person, but let me tell ya, it was no easy feat in temperatures in the 90s and high humidity.
I said my goodbyes to beautiful Nicaragua and boarded the Avianca flight to El Salvador. I don’t check bags, but I did check my privileges when I noticed that some passengers did not know there were assigned seats on flights. Despite sitting at the gate for 30 minutes because of a heavy thunderstorm, I arrived safely in El Salvador after a 40-minute flight.
In stark contrast to my humble homestay, I stayed at the bougie (to me) Hyatt Centric San Salvador, complete with 24/7 police security and a rooftop pool. It was such a beautiful place! After I stopped taking photos of my room because I just couldn’t believe I was staying there for free, I had a very tasty dinner downstairs.
El Salvador has a whole bunch of volcanoes (as is Nicaragua). I hiked the Santa Ana Volcano, the highest in the country. That was SOME hike. We started at 3000 ft and the first half was through a forest-like trail. It was steep! Then the vegetation started to change, trees disappeared, and I could see the surroundings more. It was SO GORGEOUS! I could see other volcanoes and Lake Coatepeque. After 2-hours of hiking UPHILL, and wondering why I signed up for these things instead of watching Netflix at home, I arrived at the top of the volcano, to see the turquoise water in the caldera. The scenery took my breath away, and it wasn’t just because of the lack of oxygen at 8000 feet.
The next day, I visited a Monkey sanctuary. Most of the monkeys are wild, but there were three that came to me for bananas, especially Maria, a monkey that used to be in a circus and hence was comfortable with humans. In the afternoon, I kayaked the mangroves of Bahia de Jiquilisco. Kayaking on the open water is one thing, maneuvering in a mangrove is another. I may have gotten stuck once or twice.
I admit I didn’t know anything about El Salvador before this trip, but I hope I inspired you to visit it. It is a very safe country, especially for tourists, and the government has done a lot to make it safe in the past few years. I hope you keep this incredibly beautiful country on your bucket list. Fun fact, their official currencies are USD and Bitcoin.
– Flights: ATL – IAH (United First), IAH – MGA (United Business), MGA – SAL (Avianca Economy), SAL – IAH (United Business), IAH – ATL (United First). Lounges in ATL, IAH (twice), SAL (Avianca): 85,000 points + $124.
– Spanish school for 5 days with 1-1 instruction and homestay for 7 nights including all meals: $297 (Cash back: Rakuten $36, Viator credit $15)
– Hyatt Centric San Salvador for 4 nights: 20,000 points (and 3000 points back with some random promotional thing I apparently clicked).
– 90-min massage in Nicaragua where a woman hurt me like no other woman has: $45
– Volcano Hike: $100 (Cash back: Rakuten $8)
– Monkey/Kayak tour: $185 (Cash back: Chase $9, Rakuten $18.50, Viator credit $9)
– Six airport transfers in 3 countries: $420 (Cash back: Chase $8, Rakuten $19, Viator credit $8)
– Food: $150
– Misc: $50
Total for 12-days: ~ $1250
This trip was truly amazing for so many reasons. I am on sabbatical, which is how I could take a mid-semester trip, something I otherwise couldn’t do. I flew upper-class for the first time, for next to nothing, thanks to learning how to strategically used points and miles using credit card churning. I started learning a new language, and immersed in a culture with a homestay. I hope to visit both Nicaragua and El Salvador again, such underrated gems.
