Corruption

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?

Climate

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. 

Society

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.

National Symbols

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. 

Prisons

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...

Beaches

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.

Volcano

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. 

Crafts

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.