I was warned not to come here
The streets were thick with people. Sales carts sold everything from bananas, to backpacks, to shoes. Vendors yelled out the product names, children giggled and ran through the streets, and families strolled together surveying the products and enjoying the evening air.
It was a sea of people, dark hair and dark skin in every direction I looked. Dark eyes often meeting mine as they stared as we passed. I wasn’t surprised by the stares, after all we were an unlikely duo to be strolling the streets of San Salvador. My blonde hair probably caught the sun, and my friend, a woman of Chinese descent walked by my side.
The stares were often followed by a warm smile, and in some cases a wave of the hand. They were welcoming us.
I was warned not to come here. Danger, drug cartels, violence. These are the words that people used to describe El Salvador. I was curious to go see for myself.
Boy, were people wrong. We took extra precaution, hiring a tour guide for the day through EC Tours. We had a 22 year old female pick us up from the airport and take us to some major sites for the day. We went to the volcano, El Boqueron and walked through the park. It was a Saturday, and the paths were filled with local families coming to enjoy the cool mountain air and the beautiful view.
We walked Libertad Park and visited the most beautifully unique Church, La Iglesia de Rosario.
La Iglesia de Rosario
How many times has someone warned you not to go somewhere? A place they’ve never even seen. I’ve had people warn me countless times. It’s amazing how, according to other people, each country I go to is apparently “The most dangerous place in the world.” It makes me sad that we stigmatize entire countries and entire groups of people. It is sad for the people assigned the stigma, but also, so sad for the people who miss out on the joy of experiencing such wonderful places, so close to our own country.
Christmas decorations in the city
The city and the people of San Salvador are beautiful. One of my favorite feelings in the world is to share a laugh with a person I know almost nothing about and with whom I barely share a common langauge. And yet, there we are, two people, laughing at the same silly joke. Sharing a moment of joy.
View from our restaurant
If I had listened to the warnings, I would have missed out on this experience. I thought about this as I looked out over the entire city of San Salvador. I was eating pupusas, traditional Salvadorian food, listening to my tour guide, Estefani, tell me how hard she is working in college to graduate with her degree in international affairs.
Popusas. The national dish
I was thankful to be in such a beautiful place, with such beautiful people. I mentally noted that I’d be back here again one day and silently thanked my Dad who always reminded me to follow my own path and who taught me to answer opposition to my goals with a simple question, “Why not?”
