I've got a feeling we're not in Guatemala anymore...

San Salvador: Part of Metrocentro; a view close to our guest house

When you picture Central America, do you see huge shopping malls, with escalators, food courts, and overpriced cinnamon rolls? After a day and half in San Salvador, we have visited one of the many many shopping centers in the city, and our guesthouse is a short few blocks away from the largest mall in Central America, Metrocentro.

Crossing the border into El Salvador was surprisingly simple and fast. We stopped at the entrance gate to El Salvador, where the gatekeepers politely informed us that we had not yet left Guatemala. So we walked a few hundred feet back down the highway to "check out" of Guatemala before returning to "check into" El Salvador. After a few quick checks of our passports, we were soon in this significantly smaller country.

What changed? Fewer fields, fewer mountains, and a lot more Burger Kings and KFC's. As we entered San Salvador, I felt as though we were entering a large city in the states. Commercialism has overcome the city. Every street-side is littered with "Oferta" banners (signs advertising deals or sales), fastfood joints, and Mister Donuts.

There is an undeniable influence from the United States here in the city. In addition to the commercialism and presence of big business, the Salvadoran currency is the US dollar. It feels a bit weird to be purchasing items in a foreign country with papers that have the picture of US presidents.

Today we spent some time in a smaller market downtown. We were split up into groups and entered the market. My group was assigned to purchase vegetables, as many veggies as we could get for $5. We were able to purchase a decent amount of veggies--a bagful, including a dozen small tomatoes, a head of cauliflower, six cucumbers, a couple of squash, and six carrots. We felt pretty accomplished with our $5 purchase...until we found out that the minimum wage in El Salvador is $7 per day.

After the market, we visited the national cathedral, including the tomb of Oscar Romero. From the little bit I've heard about this man, I am already an admirer. I cannot wait to learn more about the church's presence in El Salvador and Romero's life, as well as the influence of liberation theology in this region. Our religion class starts tomorrow. :) We also visited the most interesting looking church I have ever seen. The images both outside of and within the church were breathtaking, and I felt so much in a state of worship just focusing upon the images, for example, of the journey to the Cross. It was a beautiful church that was located just across the street from one of the many sites where assassinations and/or massacres have occurred within the last few decades.

After visiting the cathedrals, we drove to an area that used to be called the "Lungs" of San Salvador. On this plot of land used to be a large farm, but now is home to the newly built US Embassy and four large shopping malls. Walking into the mall, I felt like I was surely back in the United States. The first things I saw were a Cinnabon and a Gymboree. We had a short time to walk around and look at prices, and we were challenged to talk with some of the people about how much money they make. We noticed that prices were pretty much the same to prices in the states--a cute formal dress cost $120, a pair of jeans for $40, nail polish for $6-9, a Cinnabon for $3, etc. We asked the women behind the Cinnabon and Nescafe counters how much they make, and they responded with "the minimum" which is an equivalent of around $200 per month. Per month.  Minimum wage in the states allows a person to make over $200 in a week. Same product prices, way less income. That just doesn't make sense. The question we were left with after the visit was, how is it possible for these companies to be sustained with so many people making so little? The responses we received and will continue to pursue as we learn more about ES include the dependence on remittances (money sent back from Salvadorans in the US) and drug trafficking.

I definitely feel like I am back in the United States. I am missing the small-city feel of Xela and the calm of the Guatemalan campo, but I am excited to learn more and live within this very different society.

Pray for our group as we adjust to this new location. We have been blessed with a BEAUTIFUL guest house; it's so comfortable! Pray for our group dynamics as we live and study together. Pray that we don't get at each other's throats as we spend A LOT of time together. :)

I hope all is well back in the United States! Although I'm not there, I feel like I am. Bienvenidos a San Salvador.