Stuck in Traffic? Just Click

Inspired by my fellow blogger's recent story entitled "Traffic Report" on El Salvador Perspectives, today I bring you a long overdue episode of "Just Click."  This series of 2022 photos is brought to you by Salvadoran traffic congestion.  

We frequently drive near Estadio Cuscatlan. On big game days, vendors set up their wares early in the morning, which can be annoying when people stop to make a purchase.  This practice also serves as the early warming system to avoid the area later during game time.

Typical mid-morning traffic. This is not rush hour.
Fortunately there are plenty of billboards for one's reading enjoyment.

Speaking of reading while meandering through traffic, whenever a new fast food item advertisement hits a primo location on a pasarela, we do make our assessments on whether we would eat it, or not. I believe this particular ad elicited from yours truly a confident, "ooh, I'd eat that" (because I would).

Stuck at a stoplight? Not a billboard in sight? No worries. The bored passenger can play the "I spy corn growing in a weird spot" game. Yes, this is along a main thoroughfare in San Salvador.

Sometimes, traffic congestion is really a cow problem. This is in the city of Aguilares,
on the main highway. 

Cows slowing you down? Of course, photograph the cows, but don't forget to look around. You might catch a photographic replica of an important archeological find such as the Perrito de Cihuatán (the little dog of Cihuatán). Cihuatán archeolgical site is located just outside of Aguilares.

And in case you are thinking that cows are a rare problem, no, they are not. This is Apopa. Apopa is a city.

When one finds oneself stuck on the troncal (highway) in Apopa, one may wish to study doors. 
1) Notice the pretty blue door and black security gate in the background.
2) Ponder making use of the little ramp entries to these homes, with small children, while carrying groceries, in the pouring rain...you get it.
3) Driving close to the edge of roads like this can be scary, especially in a bus.

The front of the car protruding through the wall of this car repair shop in Apopa has been here forever.
We get stuck right here quite often. Looks like nature is fighting with the car for a prime street view.

More slow traffic in Apopa. This house got a door and window security upgrade. Pretty!

On the way back into San Salvador via Constitution, I had a chance to get a photograph
of this billboard. Dolo-Crim (pain cream) Mary-Juana. Good for relaxing massages.
Get it? Mary-Juana.  In traffic, you get your laughs when you can.

While on a slow crawl through Antiguo Cuscatlan, I captured this image of the San Salvador volcano in the distance, with interesting trees in the foreground, and a sign that says that earth and gravel are no longer received here, and no trash either. Former dump?

On the road heading south toward Planes, you might get stuck by this sign:
Respect the animals and let them cross. (People better use the pasarelas.)

Morning traffic coming into San Salvador from Los Planes.  It's hard to appreciate in this photo just how crowded the micro-buses are.  We literally saw a bus pass us that had people bulging out the windows and multiple people (not just the fare takers) hanging on OUTSIDE of the vehicle.

Take time to notice the pretty things. Happy Mother's Day!

When you take a secondary route to avoid traffic on the primary route and you still get stuck, it's a great opportunity to take in the scenery.  Bonus points for murals.

Mural under the bridge to the Comalapa highway, painted by TNT  (Fernan Floo)

Sunrise, on the road.

Getting late. 

Need a ride home from work?

Sunset, on the road.

Traveling across the city or from one city to another can be a real headache, particularly on Saturday afternoons. There are certainly ways in which the Salvadoran transit authorities could improve the flow of traffic, especially when it comes to people parking and stopping and blocking lanes.  For now, we just try to make the best of it and avoid busy times.  Oh, and the sewer holes with no grates.  We try to avoid those too.  Oh, and the potholes that can swallow tires whole. Yeah, those too. And cows. Except for the cute ones, which I will photograph.

Cow not causing a traffic jam.