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Published: August 10th 2005
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Bed and Breakfast
nine of us put on swim wear and squeeze into a tile bath tub at the Alicante bed and breakfast to cool off Introduction
(written following the trip) During their recent civil war, thousands of the people of El Salvador were relocated to refuge camps. Dragged from their homes, men, woman, and children lived in harsh, unfamiliar conditions in Honduras, waiting for the war to end. Many families were split up, many people were kidnapped and murdered. As conflict rolled toward an end, the people of El Salvador began returning home. For many a new problem came into existed: they had nowhere to go, and without land of their own, they could not be released from the camps. For a group of 645 El Salvadorians, hope came as Denmark funded an area of land for them to call home. There were no structures, no water or sewage systems, no roads. That was 13 years ago, and today the community of Huizisilapa, El Salvador, now with a population of roughly 780, is facing new challenges. While the village still has many problems to face concerning poverty, house sizes and conditions, the open sewer system, and its polluted river, its main focus is on its youth, the first generation to be born and raised in this young community.
The center of
The guys' Room
Dao and Whitney play cards in their bed room at the Alicante the towns energy is the small, cinder block school which resides beneath the pride of the village people, a gigantic and beautiful tree, the symbol of Huizisilapa. On any given day one can see the many young children and older teens playing "football" basketball, or softball (or many times all of these at once) in the large cement court (referred to as the "Plasa") beside the school. The primary school is supported by the government of El Salvador, teaching the young children basic learning skills such as reading and writing. A problem existed, however, concerning where these children would go next. The answer is obvious, right? A high school, of course, was needed, but, while the physical building was sound, the idea of a high school was impossible. The government, according to a city council member, did not want to be responsible for funding another high school, so, in order to avoid its formation, the government set up "barriers" which were impossible for the village to get around. There simply was not enough money in the town to provide the science lab, computer lab, or teacher's wages that the government required them to have in order to be supported.
Fortunately, a group of students in Spokane, Washington, a city in the states that the people of the village had never seen or heard much of, learned of the struggles in this far off country. This group of high school sophomores and juniors worked all year round, doing car washes, benefit dinners, and garage sales to spread the knowledge of this injustice while earning money to help over come those barriers which prevented an education. We are called Los Harmonas. With our funds, teachers wages could be paid, computers could be purchased, a computer lab could be set up. The village, eager to meet and thank the students who had made their dreams a reality, invited us to visit them for two weeks of the summer. While not all of our group had the funds or interest needed to go, a group of 12 of us, including 2 junior high students who were siblings of high school students involved, made plans to accept the village's hospitality.
After months of planning the trip was within sight. We packed our luggage and then took on a more interesting challenge: packing 18 donated computers to bring with us for the school's computer lab, which we were to help set up while we were there. Large cardboard boxes were acquired and stuffed with towels, toilet paper, donated clothing, and other padding. Each of us (18 total, including the 5 parents who were coming, and a woman who had been our main contact with the village for several months) was to bring a computer with us as luggage along with our own luggage and gifts for our host families.
First Journal Entry
(the quotes were originally written in a paper journal while in San Salvador, anything else is comments looking back) Today was the first day of our much awaited trip. We arrived at the Spokane airport at the ungodly hour of 4:45 in the morning, but even at so early a time our eyes were bright, our minds racing. What will it be like? Will we be able to communicate? How will their culture differ from our own?
The airplane ride was tiring, and, at times boring. Each of us had about 2 heavy carry-ons to manage plus a boxed computer monitor and computer tower checked through to worry about. We flew to Seattle, WA, then Houston, TX, then finally arrived in an airport just outside of San Salvador. The trip while long, was pleasant...when we arrived, a humid temperature and collection of new smells greeted us. it took a while to get our visas and get through customs. Few of the boxed monitors arrived, which was upsetting. WE are missing several still. Finally we were allowed out of the stuffy airport into the new climate. Many students from Huizisilapa had arrived to great us. I met my host student, her name is Mirna. She is pretty (they all are!) and seems shy. She wears more provocative cloths then the rest, but seems nice. We all went to get colas and food. Mmm, my first meal, so good!
Through sips of sweet Coca Cola (in glass bottles) and bites of rich, cheese filled Popousas, I attempted, along with my fellow, non-Spanish-speaking friends, to communicate. We all laughed with our counterparts at the language barrier! Mirna asked if I was going out with Peter (Pedro) when I patted him on the back. I laughed, 'No! No!', and pointed out my boyfriend who was sitting across the room...
We finally departed, leaving the students, for San Salvador while they went home. We will spend two days in the city before going to the village
At this point we took a small van/bus to the city. Looking out the windows at the landscape in the dark, we couldn’t see much, but we could see enough to know that it wasn’t home. Lightning lit up the sky as we drove past "billboard" type adds which had been painted on large rocks and small shanty looking houses. We arrived at a bed and breakfast called the Alicante. There were two armed guards with large guns standing outside, who, while they smiles and waved at us, brought us to the realization that this country was still in conflict.
The bed and breakfast here is beautiful.
The entire building was magnificent, a traditional style tile and brick and adobe building, with brightly colored walls and furnishings.
Erin and I are in a small room with Phyllis. The pool was closed for the night (it was late), much to our hot, sweaty dismay! The boys' room had what they referred to as an "El Salvadorian style jaquosy", which was basically a shallow, tile, square bathtub. We filled it with cold water and all the girls and guys got in swim-wear and jumped in. It was a tight fit! The water felt so good and cleansing after a long hot night!...later I came down to the public living room area outside of the boys room with Erin to journal. Now, its off to bed. Big days ahead!
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