San Salvador
They say the sense of smell brings back memories more than any other sense. Before coming to DC I lived in Hawaii until the age of 7. Since moving away twenty years ago I haven't smelled burnt sugar cane or seen the fields. As we were coming to San Salvador from the airport we saw field after field burnt for harvesting the cane. The smell I immediately knew and memories from my childhood were brought back.
Today we are going to the El Zonte beach. I've seen the Pacific, though haven't swam in it since I left Hawaii. In a way, coming to El Salvador is like a homecoming for me. I've always wanted to go back to Hawaii with its warm climate, amazingly friendly people, and happiness everywhere. It seems like I found it here.
Its the dry season here, so it isn't as green as I was expecting it. When we landed I remarked to Muriel that El Salvador reminds me of Southern California.
It hasn't hit me yet that we are in a different country. The only thing that seems different is the language. The landscape and the commercialism. We went to one of the malls here and a lot of the signs were in English.When we went out to eat last night, the band was playing rock music (Pink Floyd!!!) in English, and the crowd was singing along. I'm sure once we get to Suchitoto I'll feel different.
Btw, the food here kicks butt. Very cheap compared to the US. Last night I ate fish covered with crushed macamias and a sweet curry sauce on top. With it I had two margaritas, coffee and desert. Including tip, my total was $27. This morning I had eggs over easy served on a tortilla and covered with salsa. The salsa had the ripest red tomatos and was made with chicken broth. Breakfast came with a side of beans, coffee and fake oj. Total was prolly around $4.50.
I'll be posting pictures soon, once I go through them. I'll also post some audio as well.
Today we are going to the El Zonte beach. I've seen the Pacific, though haven't swam in it since I left Hawaii. In a way, coming to El Salvador is like a homecoming for me. I've always wanted to go back to Hawaii with its warm climate, amazingly friendly people, and happiness everywhere. It seems like I found it here.
Its the dry season here, so it isn't as green as I was expecting it. When we landed I remarked to Muriel that El Salvador reminds me of Southern California.
It hasn't hit me yet that we are in a different country. The only thing that seems different is the language. The landscape and the commercialism. We went to one of the malls here and a lot of the signs were in English.When we went out to eat last night, the band was playing rock music (Pink Floyd!!!) in English, and the crowd was singing along. I'm sure once we get to Suchitoto I'll feel different.
Btw, the food here kicks butt. Very cheap compared to the US. Last night I ate fish covered with crushed macamias and a sweet curry sauce on top. With it I had two margaritas, coffee and desert. Including tip, my total was $27. This morning I had eggs over easy served on a tortilla and covered with salsa. The salsa had the ripest red tomatos and was made with chicken broth. Breakfast came with a side of beans, coffee and fake oj. Total was prolly around $4.50.
I'll be posting pictures soon, once I go through them. I'll also post some audio as well.
Labels: Corcoran, El Salvador
3 Comments:
get posting on those pictures!
According to a 2005 World Bank/IMF study the average per capita income in El Salvador was $1,752 a year or $33.69 a week or $4.80 a day. Your $27.00 "cheap" meal was the equivalent of 5.63 days of the income of the average citizen in El Salvador. Way to experience how the country really is.
I am completely aware that what is cheap for Americans is not at all cheap for Salvadorans. I was not mocking their income nor the people themselves. If anything I left El Salvador with a greater appreciation of what I have as an American, and how materialistic our society is. Seeing how people can be so poor, yet much happier than people in this country certainly changed my perspective. The trip confirmed that as Americans we have nothing to complain our whine about, since we have opportunities that so many others don't.
I'm sure when you see the photographs I took of a family squatting in a former jail with no roof, you'll see what I mean.
I am also aware of the influence businesses in the United States have on El Salvador. The influence isn't what I would call positive.
Of course travelling with a group won't show you how the "country really is." I did not go as as a tourist seeking to exploit the people there. If you continue to read the blog, you'll see what we were doing there. Or go to our blog http://foto-viajeros.com/
If you want to criticize other people, that is fine, but at least do so with your name published.
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