One of the local's and tourist's most popular destination is the lake. Just a an hour away from the city, the lake is one of El Salvador's most impressive views. The lake is located in a gigantic hole and surrounded by land with one piece of land, the "island" in the middle. This is a very popular place for people to have vacation homes because of the myriad of things there are to there like jet ski, go boating, and kayaking. Also, since there are a lot of people who have houses there, it is a well known environment to hang out with family and friends.
Recently, the lake has become a place to host several events because of it's nice view and climate.One big luxury hotel and several fancy restaurants have opened lakeside for people to enjoy the view. Weddings are extremely common at this one hotel Cardedeu at the lake. Also August, specifically the first week of the month when we have vacation, is the week when it is most full. Many parties are hosted here during this week and it is the time where there is the most activity because it is the end of summer.
The lake is most know for it's beautiful change of color. It happened once a couple of years ago that the water in the lake turned an extremely light blue color and no one could explain why it happened. Now from time to time the water will change to this color and it looks beautiful.
Throughout the years a fashion market has been established in El Salvador. Designer names are appearing more frequently, and even a local fashion week has been introduced. The established market for this fashion is not affordable for all, since most of the original boutiques by local designers are pricey and very high fashion, meaning they can be out of the mainstream style. The regular clothes boutiques struggle with the competition of the introduction of international brands like Forever 21 and Zara, but the fancy stores manage to strive.
MIMI Boutique
This is where many of El Salvador's brides purchase their wedding dresses and all of the dresses for their wedding parties. It is the biggest selection of night gowns and different styles of dresses in the country. It started out as a small wedding dress shop led by a woman who brought the dresses from other places to offer more variety, and is now grown to original designs and a variety of normal clothes. Graduation dresses are also a big part of this boutique. The range of styles is for every age, taste, and shape.
Francesca Miranda
This is one of the most high end boutiques in the country. it has recently expanded into a big store with costume designs for night gowns available, but if focuses a lot on high fashion items for every day use. The designer comes from a will known family that has always supported noble causes, and she came up with her own brand one day.
Apart from the natural beauties El Salvador has to offer like the beaches, the mountains, and the sceneries, it also has stuff to do in the city. Over the years the development of new malls and hang out spots has been growing immensely. The demand of the people to have more things to do in the city has been answered for. There are three major places where people will go and hang out and were tourists are recommended to go in El Salvador.
La Gran Via
This open mall was the first one constructed with a modern approach. It has been changing over the years to adapt to the latest tendencies. The mall has an inside and outside part. The outside is filled with small kiosk of snacks and knick knacks. The biggest stores are located on the outside part. There is also a movie theater, the biggest one in the country. Restaurants are also located on the outside for people to enjoy the views. On the inside many more stores are available, both local and international.
Multiplaza
This mall has been recently renovated and is now the most famous and most fancy mall in the country. This holds the most international and well know brands like Carolina Herrera and Forever 21. The most famous part of the mall is the newly added restaurant part. There are two floors full of restaurants with all kinds of food, and they all have a view. The mall does a great job balancing the fancy and the average, making it a destination for all people.
Paseo del Carmen
Paseo del Carmen is an outside strip of street that has many restaurants. This is most visited during the night because of the lighting and because of the live entertainment. A lot of the restaurants are also bars, making it a desirable destinations for young adults. This street has an indie vibe to it, attracting many artists and liberal type people.
Everyone native to El Salvador knows that Salvadorans know how to throw a big party. More then that, any event were there can be an excuse to throw a party there will be one. This is what has been happening with Christmas and New Years for the last several years. Even though we like to celebrate things the fun way, we are also very traditional and these holiday parties always take place after a night spend in family.
The latest tradition for the last 8 years on Christmas day is to have one of the biggest parties of the year to not only celebrate Christmas but to raise money for a good cause. Since it is very common in my country to celebrate Christmas eve more than Christmas day, he party takes place December 25 from 12 am to 6 am usually in a fancy venue. The party is fancy and tasteful and all the profits made from the selling of tickets go to a noble cause. The cause changes each year and precious causes have been University scholarships for kids from public school, construction of houses in impoverished zones, and Christmas gifts for those in need.
This party is called Parrandear Para Dar, which translates to Party to Donate, and ever since it started it has been a hit among Salvadoran's society.
Another big party taking place in El Salvador is the New Years Eve party at the beach. This party takes place on the sand on December 30 to welcome the new year with the your friends, on the sand, watching the sunrise. This party is simply to have fun and enjoy the welcoming of a new year having fun. Although not as fancy as the Christmas party, it is as popular as it if not more.
El Salvador is characterized for it's loud and pompous festivities. Most of these festivities or celebrations are religious based, and most of them celebrate a religious figure. They are know for lasting around a week and for their specific songs and foods pertaining to each celebration. The three biggest celebrations is the "Carnaval de San Miguel," "Dia de La Virgen," and Independence Day.
El Carnaval de San Miguel is a celebration dedicated to the Virgin of Peace. It is celebrated the last week of November all around the country, but specifically in the one of the 14 departments of El Salvador, San Miguel. This carnival is best known for the traditional dances performed to one of the most famous Salvadoran songs named after the festival. People get together and enjoy live music and a myriad of traditional delicacies cooked for the occasion. Many of the fictional characters El Salvador holds dearest come to live in this carnival and children enjoy it the most.
"El Dia de La Virgen" is directly translated to The Day of the Virgin. This is celebrated December 12 to celebrate the Virgin Mary's mother of Jesus' birthday. This celebrations is really important in El Salvador because of its catholic majority. Many churches all around the country host a carnival outside of the church offering food, rides, and prayers to honor Virgin Mary. This celebration is typically more celebrated in small towns where there is larger areas to set up the carnival. This is why the girls born this day are given the second name of Maria.
Independence Day takes place September 15. This holiday is the most similar to other country's independence day. There are different activities to honor this day like air shows and military parades with the national anthem playing in the background. The most famous tradition for this day is the placing of 15 flower crowns on a pedestal to represent the national symbol. It take place first thing in the morning and televised all around the country.
Corruption is something that is extremely present in many aspects of El Salvador's life. People are easily moved by money and bribes, they are easily convinced with a small reward. The biggest corruption movements take place with the government and the police forces, but it is also present in business. Sadly, this corruption presence represents the greedy citizens that populate our country.
One of the many reasons that our country is labeled as one of the most violent in the world and why it's so unsafe in the streets is because the police system is extremely messed up. Police officers will let crimes committed by the gangs pass without punishment if they're given the right reward. The paper is filled with news about gangs bribing the police forces to go blind against their committed crimes. The police men or women are often very low class, uneducated men, who will take the smallest amount if it means receiving something. To be fair, sometimes they let the crimes pass because the gangs have threatened them or their families.
The government is said to be one of the most corrupt governments in the world. No matter what political party you support or who your preferred political leaders are, there will always be someone corrupt that represents you. For the last three presidencies the president who leaves office is always accused of stealing huge amounts of money and of illegal doings while in office. Politicians in El Salvador are characterized for being greedy, and they never let us down in proving it right.
Even the private businesses as well as the government sponsored ones are corrupted. Elite business men appear frequently on the paper for corruption and illegal crimes with their business management. if the corruptions starts this high in the social scene, how is not expected to spread to other levels?
One of the best aspects of El Salvador's climate is the year long warmth. Even though we still follow the Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter order, the weather in each season is different from the northern hemisphere, and the time it happens on is also different. The stations are different because we base them on the rain fall, which is a very important things for the big agriculture that takes place in the country.
Summer in El Salvador is from November to April, when in the US this period would be Winter and Spring. This is called Summer because the rainfall during this period is minimal, and the temperature is the hottest during the first months of the year. As done in the US, summer is the time for school and college vacations, so in my country public schools, the schools that follow the national system, have vacation form September to late January. I always followed the American system because I went to an American school, and all the other private schools follow the American system as well.
Winter is from May to October. This is the rainy season in El Salvador. Although it's "winter" it rarely gets cold during this period. What does happen is humidity and lots and lots of rain. This is the season that most farmers love because of the rain that benefits their crops so much. Some other climate changes during these months can be winds, but it is not a drastic change from summer.
One great thing, at least for me, about this climate is that it never gets cold. The average temperature for an average day is 75 degrees Fahrenheit. During the summer it get hotter reaching up to ten degrees more. But during the winter the coldest it will get is 70 degrees, which is not cold at all. If you want a more chilly climate there are some places you can find it like in the Volcano or the mountains.
Since El Salvador is such a small country, it is very common to know all the people in a certain specific social circle or group. For example, all the people in your school, or all the people who work at the same job you do, or even the people who go to your same grocery store. Since it's so easy to know people, you also know the family they come from and their personal issues. In other words, gossip travels fast.
El Salvador's society is something that bothers me the most about my country. In fact, it's something that bothers many. You are judge by everyone who knows you, and that is typically a large group. It does not matter if you have outlived your high school life, the judging and gossiping still exists in the adult world.
From my experience and point of view, attending the 'rich kids' private school of the country, the elite society is highly emphasized and contrasted against the middle and lower classes. It is no wonder that the lower classes that exist in abundance around the country resent the elite and the higher classes so much. A huge social divide has been created, and nothing is being done to smooth that barrier.
In the adult world and the business world it's all about connections and knowing the right people. Jobs are not sufficient for the citizens, but if you know the right person or have a right position, you can get anyone a job. This is another reason why there is so much social resentment among the people. There is not enough fair opportunities for everyone.
El Salvador's colors are white and blue. Our flag consists of two blue stripes with a white one in the middle, which holds several symbols. The two blue stripes represent the two oceans tat surround Central America, Atlantic and Pacific. The triangle int he middle represents the three things that we should live by: liberty, equality, and brotherhood. It also has 14 flags around it that represent the 14 states.
Our national flower is called "flor de izote." This particular flower was named the national flower because of it's many different uses and it's beauty. It flowers from March to May. The flower can be used for textile purposes, to fabricate small things like placemats and "izote products." At the same time, this plant can be eaten. This is much less common, and it is usually food for the farmers. Most importantly, the flower is beautiful.
One of our most famous patriotic symbols is the Torogoz. This beautiful bird is the one of the hardest things to spot in our country, even though it is so well known. This bird was chosen for a symbol because of it's uniqueness and it's beautiful, majestic appearance. It makes it even more special because it's so hard to spot it.
As I mentioned in a previous post, one of the biggest problems of El Salvador is the gangs that control many parts of the area, but he bigger problem is that we can't seem to control them.
Catching the responsible for all of the crimes caused, more often the bring leaders, meaning the gang leaders, is an extremely hard job because they have a way to hide and intimidate officers as well. More than catching them, when they are locked up, they still control everything from the inside. The prisons do very little to isolate them from the outside world, and our justice system being as broken as it is, puts all of the same gang members together, making it much easier to keep on plotting.
The prisons also have limited space for the amount of criminals that roam the streets of my country. For this reason, when there is a new capture, most of the times the captures come in big sizes because the gangs are caught committing a crime together, they have to release some of the prisoners that have been there the longest, and they can go back to committing more crimes... Like I said, failed justice system.
On top of those mistakes that make it possible for the gang members to continue causing violence, the prison facilities have minimal security. They have minimal security for the most dangerous people in the country. Some prisoners have phones inside of their cells from which they call the other gang members on the outside to give them murder orders. People wonder how this is possible, and we don't even know if it's because they have a way to sneak stuff in or because the officers are that easy to bribe. The prisoners roam around the jails all day without being forced to work or pay for their crimes. And then people wonder why we can't get rid of violence...
One of the most beautiful attractions in El Salvador are the beautiful beaches it has to offer just a car ride away. From great food and views, calm and quiet places, party life, and amazing waves for those who surf, there is a variety of beaches that fit to people's tastes.
El Salvador's most famous beach is El Tunco. This beach has the most variety of things to do from all of the beaches in the country. The authenticity of the place charms the tourists, there is nothing but seafood and salty air. There is a strip along the shore that has local food, bands, and motels. This is a rocky beach which is why few people go in the water and why there is so much places to eat and relax. The places all have views from up high to the water bellow. It is the perfect place to drive to one afternoon for a ceviche.
Another famous beach is El Sunzal. It is most commonly know for its waves, and the great setting for surfers. This is where you would go find all of the American surfers that come to El Salvador especially for the waves, like some celebrities have done before. The night life in this beach is the biggest from all the beaches. It has a very hippie setting, which is why it is the one that attracts more surfers and young people. It is a very unique setting, not everyone would enjoy it, but surfers love it.
Costa del Sol, which is literally "Shore of Sun" is the more family oriented beach. Many people have vacation houses here, and most of them leave for the weekend to their beach house to get away from the city. Throughout the years, this beach has become more residential, with the building of apartment complexes and more houses. Many people own property here, and so it can be called the Hamptons of El Salvador, it is not cheap to won a house by this beautiful shore. It is the perfect way to get away because of the peacefulness.
When people hear about a volcano they think about lava, rocks, and something that you see from far away. In El Salvador, we think as the volcano as a place to go hang out with friends or family where we can have specialty food with an amazing view from the top.
Most people don't understand when I say I miss going up to the volcano with my friends and spending the whole day there just relaxing and enjoying the view. The volcano's name is "Volcan de San Salvador" and it has been inactive for hundreds of years. If it would be active, it would result in a huge disaster for the city because it is so close to the capital, where a lot of people live. This closeness to the city makes it easier, a 30 minute drive, to get high on it.
The commercialization of the volcano has grown throughout the years because people love the idea of dining and relaxing with a view from up high. Known Salvadoran chain restaurants have opened a branch in the volcano, and many people have bought vacation houses up there to go for the weekend. All of these businesses tend to include a small hotel for people who want to stay the night or a couple of nights. The cool climate and the peacefulness up here allows you to be disconnected from the city.
All these places mentioned are not at the top of the volcano, they are scattered in places before reaching the crater, where the view is still a good one. Regardless, people still go up to the crater, typically on hikes or just to admire even more view. The crater is know as the Boqueron, and it is one of the main attractions for tourists in my country because there is a aqua colored lagoon in the middle.
El Salvador is known for its beautiful hand made, authentic crafts. Although the original creators of these crafts, the natives, are not around anymore, their descendants and people who have mastered the art carry this craft tradition along, and it is one of the top things the tourists look for in my country.
There are specific places where these crafts originated, places like Ataco and Apaneca which are cities that are on the outskirts of the country, cities that attract the most tourism because they are so authentic. The type of crafts made in El Salvador range from clay figures to handmade bracelets. The most famous type of crafts, are the ones that have some from of painting or drawing on it, usually a painting referencing Fernando Llort, a famous local painter.
The detail in the paintings and the unique drawings of people and landscapes captivate the attention of many tourists. Not one piece of Salvadoran art is dull in color.
The places where these crafts are sold makes the experience of buying them even more authentic. They're only sold in specific art markets, typically in a very rural place where the creators of the crafts gather and sell their stuff. Some people travel 45 minutes to find the best, most specific markets in the country.
If there is something El Salvador has to be proud of, it's the amazing food it has. From simple things you can grab by the side of the road, to more upscale delicacies, this country has it all. The main dish we're known for around the world is Pupusas. Pupusas are corn or rice tortillas filled with a choice of beans, cheese, or both. They are cooked in a comal and served immediately. On the side of the pupusas there is typically curtido, which is a prepared cabbage salad, and salsa, a tomato sauce that is usually spicy.
Another very typical food form El Salvador is the empanadas. This is a sweet dessert consisting of a plantain ball filled with cream custard, beans, or a combination of both. The most common type is the on filled with the custard because it matches with the slight sweetness of the plantain, but the bean ones also are served with sugar on top. This is a very typical delicacy to eat after the pupusas.
Something that is extremely popular to do in El Salvador is have "Traditional Sunday" which means that for Sunday dinner we will eat only Salvadoran delicacies from places that specialize in making them.The two most popular foods to eat on Sunday apart from the pupusas are called "pastelitos de chucho" which translates directly to "dog cakes." They are a sort of empanada, but with a biscuit type batter filled with meat and vegetables, and treated as a snack or side dish rather than the main dish, which is why it has such an informal name. This is accompanied by a glass of "horchata" which is a beverage that resembles the taste of really sweet milk with a unique taste of cinnamon.
I was fortunate enough to have a top level education while living in such a impoverished country like El Salvador. I went to the only American school in the country, meaning all of our classes expect for one hour long class were in english, and most of our teachers where American. Following it's name, American School of El Salvador, we followed the American system, which differs from the Salvadoran system. This allowed me opportunities that only a couple of other schools in the country have, like access to a higher education in the US and a great learning of English as a second first language.
Being in the top rated school of the country is not always a good thing, other people assumed everyone there were rich spoiled kids that look at everyone else as inferiors. This is something that I had to deal with often, people made assumptions about my personality based on a generalization about the school, so I fought hard to break that stereotype. Having the necessary resources in the school to help the many who didn't, we were always trying to give back. There were countless fundraisers and clubs that landed a hand to those less fortunate education wise.
I decided to open a club called Interact, the young branch of the Rotary Club to be able to help others in need. We mainly helped orphanages, small schools, and the elders, by providing them school supplies, food, and just a simple distraction from their daily lives. This is what I liked the mots about going to such a resourceful school, that we were able to give back and help those that needed it the most.
Education in El Salvador is one of the most mediocre education one can get. GOOD education in El Salvador is basically a privilege that only the minority can have. The public school system, which is were most of the population can send their kids to, is broken and falling behind. Public schools in my country are lacking most of the basic facilities schools should have, making a good education hard to happen. The environment is not right in any way for students to focus on academics and learn.
Many schools, usually in the poorest parts of the country, don't even have enough teachers and tables for the students. Others don't even have a whole roof over the institutions to protect them form bad weather. This conditions are present in many of the biggest public schools in the country because in the the most populated areas sometimes concede with being the poorest parts as well.
The mentality of these children's parents, most of the time uneducated as well, can be one of the following: "Why send my kids to school if the education is so bad? They won't learn anything anyways." Or, "I want my kids to go to school to get the education I did not get."
Many parents want to provide education for their children, but unfortunately it's not the type that they imagined for them. This lack of education for children is what many people consider the cause of such a violent and in some way unmoral country. Since the majority of the children are the ones who have to receive this low education live in some degree of poverty, there are the kids that the gang target to recruit. If they have nothing else to look forward to than working the fields or with their parents, why not take the 'easy' way out?
Poverty is extremely common in El Salvador. There is some degree of extreme poverty in all 14 departments. You are driving down the streets and in the 5 average stop lights you pass, there is always someone begging for some food or money. The saddest aspect of this begging that happens in every corner is the fact that the parents use their children to generate more money, they will generally say the money is for the kids when it's not. There is also many homeless people wandering around the streets of my country.
The hardest thing about having so much poverty is that this gives the people a chance to get into something illegal or unmoral just to make some money. The majority of people attribute poverty as the #1 reason we have so many gangs in El Salvador. The gangs recruit poor people and offer them a community and some money, which is more than what they have living in the streets. The lack of jobs in my country is also a huge reason why there is so much poor people struggling to get even one meal for their day.
El Salvador being such a warm country, the upper classes are always trying to do something to help out these people who need the most and to avoid a big, dark future for them. Consciousness is slowly being more evident in the community, and the biggest businesses in the country try to generate as much jobs as possible. For example, at my school we are often having fundraisers or events that benefit other organizations that help the poor. I believe poverty is something that impacts me the most, still to this day, about my home.
One of El Salvador’s perks is having the opportunity to escape the violence and poverty, while taking a sip of refreshing coconut water along our many tropical attractions. One of the main beaches that a lot of people travel to, no matter their socioeconomic status, is called “Costa del Sol” which translates directly to Sunny Coast. If that name itself does not make you wish you were feeling the sand and ocean water in between your toes, I don't know what will. Countless seafood restaurants are located along the seaside, offering fresh plates of locally caught fish and other delectable dishes. The surf scene at a specific beach called, “El Tunco”, is exceptionally remarkable. Surfers, both amateurs and professionals, from around the globe travel there for both the perfect waves and the lively nightlife. If the beach life is not for you, there are two more options for tourists interested in relaxing within nature’s wonders. El Salvador offers two spectacular lakes located not far from the capital. Lago de Coatepeque is located a little over an hour drive from the capital, but worth every minute. Hotels and residential are located at the shoreline with amazing views. At some points of the year, the lake has an interesting coloring to it as it turns from navy to a bright turquoise color due to a harmless chemical reaction. This usually happens around the time of the holidays, or “feriados”, where local hotels surrounding the lake are overflowing with tourists wishing to stay at least a day enjoying the unique beauty of this volcanic lake. Another option for those wishing to escape into the altitudes, the many inactive volcanoes across El Salvador are a very attractive getaway. A quick drive away from the capital, Volcan Quetzaltepek offers many cozy restaurants that have incredible views overlooking the city. Most people travel to the volcano to escape from the heat of the city and One can grab a warm coffee or hot chocolate and eat “pupusas”, a local delicacy, and relax while having a beautiful view from the top. Hikes are facilitated by the availability of trails along the mountain. Our country may be the small, but that does not detract the beauty that it holds within. From the beaches to lakes to volcanoes, but the most beautiful part of our country is the feeling that you are truly home.
A big downfall about living in El Salvador is the violence that lives in most places of the country. It is considered to be the second most dangerous country in Central America. Gangs are a huge part of the violence, in fact the biggest part. They form inside small poor communities and then spread their members throughout the whole country, controlling specific areas and getting into fights with other gangs for control of that area. There is an average of 30 murders per day in El Salvador most, if not all, committed by gangs. The worst violence is in the poor areas of the country, the cities that have the most poverty tend to be the ones that have the more gang problems because young boys fall into the trap of joining them because of lack of education and guidance. This does not mean that violence does not occur in the capital, where I'm from, it does, and it is huge. Gang members are hidden everywhere: stop lights, dark alleys, parking lots, and even super markets. So even though they are hidden, they’re in front of our noses. This type of intense violence is why people don’t understand how I can live in this country. Do I live in fear? Yes. Am I also very used to it? Yes. I, as well as most of the other 7 million people living in El Salvador have learned to live around this great issue that lives in our home. Literally, live around it. We know well what places are safe to go and what places are best to stay away from, and according to this knowledge we move in the safest places and directions. It might get tough having to avoid certain places because the gangs decide to choose that place that specific day to rob people, but it’s a small price to pay for safety. The community does a great job at alerting the others of what is happening in certain areas, like if someone is robbed at a certain red light on a certain street, half of the country will immediately know not to go near there. This is because of the consciousness that going through that is horrible, and we don’t want to give the gangs the feeling they’re winning. It’s small things like this that make it a bit easier to get by. Though I’ve gotten used to this way of living, it’s still very sad, and I wish there was something to fix it.
