International Mankini Challenge

Adidas say Impossible is Nothing, but have they really researched this to the full? Because hiking in Parque Imposible, near the town of Tacuba in El Salvador, is definitely something! Just ask Manolo who runs Imposible Tours and whose guides made it possible for me to Mankini El Salvador on the Las Vistas tour.

Having been disappointed not to get the Mankini shot in Playa El Tunco, in the heart of El Salvador´s surf region, due to a poor swell and many a jellyfish (I have stings to prove this), my options were limited. I’d already visited Alegria, the beautiful town that is El Salvador’s highest and where its volcanic lagoon could have been an option, and Perquin, where the then rebel FMLN were based during the 13 year civil war and where a great museum is located. And so without having seen another traveler for a week I relied on the travelers bible, The Lonely Planet, to provide the solution – Tacuba, specifically Parque Imposible, an hour from the Guatelmalan border (and my next stop).

Tacuba is a quaint small town on the doorstep of the privately owned Parque Imposible. With a name like this how could it not be a justifiable location for the Mankini shot? Upon arriving at Hostal de Mama y Papa, Manolo’s family home, we perused the variety of tours on offer and picked Las Vistas. According to the information it provided both great views and a tough hike. We weren’t to be disappointed.

After a hearty breakfast, myself and Joe, my trusty new photographer (after Abbey’s departure to Colombia), set out with Miguel our guide for what would turn out to be a strenuous 7 hour trek. In the nine months I’ve been away I’ve hiked in many a country and on various terrains. While Las Vistas wasn’t the most tiring of hikes, it was defiantly one of the most precarious under foot. And with it being rainy season the mud and tree roots became all the more slippy and the sheer drops we frequently navigated beside looked all the more daunting. However we didn’t let this deter us and clambered on regardless.

The pictures you see on the link below were taken at our lunch spot that overlooks Parque Imposible. Later on the cloud rolled in and limited our views. Again, while this may not be as impressive a shot as those taken at The Lost City in Colombia, or look as dangerous as the World´s Most Dangerous Road in Bolivia, these shots took work to get. I challenge anyone to do that hike and tell me that Parque Imposible is Nothing! See the pics here.

N.B. The pictures of me waving my hands about are because I got atacked by a load of flies as we tried a different view!