Blogs from San Salvador, Central, El Salvador, Central America Caribbean - page 14

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Although I am home and the next few entries will be some days behind, I still want to share my experiences from my last 3 days in El Salvador. Since I was going to the Center for Malnourished Children today, I was able to sleep in a bit. I didn't leave quite enough time for breakfast so a packet of cookies on the way to the clinic was all I had until lunch. I was very aprehensive about today's visit, since yesterday at the orphanage was really difficult for me. We headed over to the clinic around 9, only a 10 minute walk from the volunteer house. Kathy and Karen had spent a few days there already, so Troy and I were the only newbies. This was a visit I didn't think I would be able ... read more
The Malnourished Center
The Malnourished Center
The Malnourished Center


So I know yesterday's entry was pretty heavy, and today's might be even a little more so. Because it is Sunday, we got to sleep in until 9:30!! It was so nice and well-needed. We departed around 10 for the beach!! Some of our group members had never seen the Pacific Ocean, and while we couldn't go in the water, we could walk along the beach and get our feet wet. The undercurrents here are so strong it is too dangerous to go in any deeper. El Salvador is the smallest country in Central America, and is divided into departments, or states, as we know them. The capital, San Salvador, is the department in which we are staying. For our beach visit, we went to La Libertad (the liberty). Our first stop was at El Muelle, ... read more
The beautful Pacific
Such a tourist!
Monica, Andrew, Dave, Bill and Paul at the Wharf


When I went to bed last night it was raining, but I assumed it would stop so we could still have our Field Day. But no, was still raining and pretty wet in the morning, and since Field Day takes place on the soccer field, we had to postpone it until Tuesday. Aside from the wet field, the roads in the village are not paved and it would be dangerous to try and drive the vans through. So, we our modified schedule for the day and headed first to UCA, the University of Central America, run by Jesuits who aim for social justice. UCA 9 years following the assassination of Oscar Romero, six Jesuit priests were dragged from their beds at the University and killed execution style by the Salvadoran Army. We spent some time touring ... read more
On the streets of El Salvador
On the streets of El Salvador
Rose Garden at UCA


What a long day!! But a great one. Did so much today and I am exhausted, it is after midnight and I want to go to sleep but need to blog!!!! Since I did not leave myself enough time this morning, I had to rush through breakfast and packing lunch. And when we got to the work site, I did not know I was supposed to get on a different van to go to the church so I could be with the kids today. But no matter, I planned to deliver invitations to the kids at school for the Health Fair this afternoon, and we were leaving from the work site/clinic at 9am, I would just hang out for 20 minutes or so and wait. At 10:45, we gathered together to go over to the school. ... read more
Chris scooping concrete
Actually making concrete!
Courtyard at school in Las Delicias


I awoke in a panic this morning, convinced I had overslept. And since I took my watch off last night, I had no idea what time it was!! The only person still in the room was Kathy, and since she was going to the Center for Malnourished Children today, I assumed everyone else had left for the village. And it was fairly quiet in the house, which added to my anxiety. So, I jumped down from the bed (I sleep on top bunk) and grabbed my watch, only to learn that it was 6:30am... I will definitely keep my watch on me tonight!! But it was nice, I had some time to check my email, eat breakfast, and pack lunch for today without having to rush. After our prayer circle, we were off!! Today was to ... read more
Paul, Jose, and Hercules (I mean, Mike)
Library we are building!
New site for the shed


So much for a 7am wakeup call, I was awake by 5:30am!! Luckily though I was able to fall back to sleep until about 7:30. No showering in the morning, we get too hot and dirty during the day. So I save my cold shower for after a day of work when it feels refreshing and I can go to dinner nice and clean. The day began with breakfast - cereal and a banana, and then we made our lunches. Peanut butter and jelly!! Every day, all week, that will be my lunch. But no worries, I love PB & J!! I made two sandwiches because I figured I would be pretty hungry by lunchtime. And I was right!! Starved by lunch, but I will get to that later. Before our departure to the village, we ... read more
Main road in Las Delicias
House in Las Delicias
Heads, shoulders, knees and toes


Well, here is round two of Schwartzie´s Travelblog! Except now I am in El Salvador! And this is a much different trip than my Peru trip last summer. I am officially on a Mission Trip this year, and everything we do is service work and volunteer. Unlike my month in Peru last summer, all expenses paid, this time I had to purchase my own plane ticket and also pay a "donation fee" to the volunteer house in which I am staying. But it is all for a good cause, and I know I will benefit immensely from this opportunity. The focus of the trip is to spend time working with children in a nearby village called Las Delicias, which in English means "the delicates." El Salvador is a country in extreme poverty, and the living conditions ... read more
Our volunteer house
Our volunteer house
Courtyard at the volunteer house


Despues de dejar la tan emotiva visita que tuvimos en Leon, salimos destino a El Salvador. Alli nos estaba esperando Nuria, una prima mia (Rocio). Llegamos a San Salvador por la noche y como no era de esperar lo primero que hicimos fue irnos a comer las deliciosas PUPUSAS. Estás son el plato tipico tradicional de aqui que consiste en tortillas rellenas de frijoles, queso, chicharron o todo mezclado y que van acompañadas con una ensalada que se llama curtido. Para el fin de semana ya teniamos planes de que ver y hacer asi que nos fuimos directamente al Cerro verde, este es un cerro que esta a las afueras de San salvador y desde donde se pueden apreciar dos grandes volcanes activos que son el Izalco y el de Santa Ana. El volcan Izalco lo ... read more
El delicioso curtido
Pupusas
Cerro Verde


I have decided to start a blog instead of writing emails so that I can also highlight photos of the many that I have and will be continuing to post on myphotoalbum.com For those who don't know, I am currently in San Salvador, El Salvador. Today, we went to the University of Central America. A site where 6 Jesuit Priests were assassinated along with 2 houseworkers. There is now a rose garden in the place of where the Priests where found, and the Stations of the Cross have been replaced with graphic drawing of the Salvadoran people found dead after many hours, days and weeks, being tortured, raped and brutally beaten to death. They in place to represent the "Crucified People". Although this is the fourth time I have been to this site, it is always ... read more


well this is day four in el salvador and so far so good. classes have been a little on the abstract side, which means it's been over my head. all in all we've had good class discussions and lectures from my professor. the deal with liberation theology is basically that it looks at jesus as a subversive person and focuses more on the preferential option for the poor that should exist. this form of catholic theology really came to fruition out of the salvadoran civil war from 1980 - 1992. archbishop oscar romero was a huge icon for liberation theology and is still revered in el salvador. obviously there must be more to it than that, otherwise we wouldn't be cramming a semester's worth of classes in 5 weeks. yesterday we met with a woman who ... read more




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