Holding court from his eight-bed hostel, El Gringo is full of information about El Salvadorian history, politics, culture and wildlife.

BBC: El Salvador rises from the ashes

When Gutierrez was elected to the Montgomery County school board, she became the first Hispanic elected to public office in Maryland and the first El Salvadorian elected to office in the United States.

CNN: Rising minorities find political clout elusive

In return, travellers can expect to eat beautiful food cooked with ingredients harvested that day from the forest ((can you give an example?)) and to spend time with Hilda in her kitchen learning to cook the El Salvadorian specialty, pupusas (thick corn tortillas stuffed with cheese, beans and pork).

BBC: El Salvador rises from the ashes