San Salvador!
We got up at the crack of dawn yesterday morning to take the bus from Suchitoto into San Salvador... driving here is an adventure in itself, more like a rollar coaster than anything else! We arrived in San Salvador and headed straight for the Legislative offices where we had three hours of briefings and tours. It was crazy to see how each of the political parties has offices there and the difference in money supply between the different parties - it was quite obvious which ones were the wealth and poor.In the afternoon, we headed to our guest house (which is great - i share a room with four other girls and we have our own bathroom! all our meals and other living space is communal) and had lunch, then 4 plus hours of election training. The country´s elections are coming up this Sunday and we are going to be accredited international observers, traveling around to observe different locations of voting and writing up a report on what we observe. We even get tee shirts and ID badges!
We finally had some down time last night and I settled myself into the hammock that is on the back courtyard patio for a nap and reading time. I am reading a great book (thanks Drea!) called Walking on Water by Madeline L´Engle. It´s about art and faith, which has been so great because there is so much art down here and I have been loving photographing everything. It was so refreshing to have a couple hours to just take care of myself. We don´t get much time to rest and relax, so I´m taking advantage of it whenever I can.
Today we woke up early and headed to the US Embassy for briefings. It took us about 45 minutes just to get through various security checkpoints. We got to speak with 4 different people from different departments of the Embassy and hear what they do, as well as ask questions. They were very welcoming and detailed in their answers, something that has been a rare occasion here. I have noticed that almost anyone we talk to that is related somehow to a political party or the government will not give a straight answer. The best interviews and chats we´ve had have been with street vendors and people who are more straightforward with their opinions.
After that, we went straight to the UN offices here and had a briefing about Human Development and Employment here in El Salvador. It was AMAZING! I loved every minute of it and found it so intriguing. It has been really interesting to observe the mo
tivation (or lack thereof) here for economic development and then to hear actual research and views of this from an economist was incredible. About 15-20% of the country´s GDP comes from remittances (money sent from the States or other countries back to family in El Salvador) and I think it plays a large part in how much people work here. When we were in Suchitoto, I noticed that businesses would close and open as they please, sometimes staying closed during the busiest times of tourist travels, on Saturday afternoon. I have been trying to figure this out, especially since everyone we have talked to has says that development is needed here, yet the things I have seen don´t seem to match up. Not sure if this makes any sense, but there seems to be a lack of motivation to work when receiving remittances, so instead of having enough money to survive and save and invest, the remittances are used as the source of income.
We also spent
the afternoon at UCA, a big private university here. We walked through campus and saw where six priests were shot at the end of the civil war, not even twenty years ago. They have photo albums full of the crime scene photos, including very graphic pictures of the bodies and disfigurations from the torture. It was hard. But it also made it very real. They have cases full of their belongings, their clothes that they were murdered in, and much more. We also had a lecture given by Dr. Sajid Herrar, which covered the last 300 years of history and was amazing. It is so fun to be able to understand a college lecture in only Spanish. We have an translator, but I am now to the point where I can understand most of what is being said and only need a few of the details filled in for me! As for speaking.... well, that´s a different story!
And tonight, 4 guys from Whitworth came to our guesthouse because they are in Central America for the month traveling and also helping with the elections. And two of them are my friends Jeff and Richie, who I work with at school! It was so good to see them! And now I´m off to try and get some sleep.... Peace.
tivation (or lack thereof) here for economic development and then to hear actual research and views of this from an economist was incredible. About 15-20% of the country´s GDP comes from remittances (money sent from the States or other countries back to family in El Salvador) and I think it plays a large part in how much people work here. When we were in Suchitoto, I noticed that businesses would close and open as they please, sometimes staying closed during the busiest times of tourist travels, on Saturday afternoon. I have been trying to figure this out, especially since everyone we have talked to has says that development is needed here, yet the things I have seen don´t seem to match up. Not sure if this makes any sense, but there seems to be a lack of motivation to work when receiving remittances, so instead of having enough money to survive and save and invest, the remittances are used as the source of income.We also spent
the afternoon at UCA, a big private university here. We walked through campus and saw where six priests were shot at the end of the civil war, not even twenty years ago. They have photo albums full of the crime scene photos, including very graphic pictures of the bodies and disfigurations from the torture. It was hard. But it also made it very real. They have cases full of their belongings, their clothes that they were murdered in, and much more. We also had a lecture given by Dr. Sajid Herrar, which covered the last 300 years of history and was amazing. It is so fun to be able to understand a college lecture in only Spanish. We have an translator, but I am now to the point where I can understand most of what is being said and only need a few of the details filled in for me! As for speaking.... well, that´s a different story!And tonight, 4 guys from Whitworth came to our guesthouse because they are in Central America for the month traveling and also helping with the elections. And two of them are my friends Jeff and Richie, who I work with at school! It was so good to see them! And now I´m off to try and get some sleep.... Peace.
posted by KacieAnne @ 8:14 PM
1 Comments:
Hi Hon,
Wow, what a great sounding adventure! The waterfall trip sounds quite incredible, a great mix of history and fantasy island. So glad to hear that you are loving your trip, and having a chance to see the culture from many angles. Can't wait to hear what a papoosa is!
We are doing well here, Colin off to his snow retreat tomorrow, and Dad and I staying here to enjoy some quiet. Snow, you remember snow, don't you?! The heat sounds so nice, but I know it can get pretty toasty down there!
Love you big time, and pray for you and all your travel buddies daily. Stay safe, stay blessed, and know we love you!
Love and hugs,
Mom
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