A Trip to the Capital and Buses:

I would just like to start this blog addressing anyone who actually reads this. If you have any specific questions or would like to know more about an aspect of Salvadoran life, what I am doing, why the hell I’m here (although I probably can’t answer that) just post a comment/question and I’ll put it in my next blog entry. Cuz really this blog is more for people to know what’s going on with me and to learn a little about what I’m doing and learning. So I want it to be interesting….

So public transportation here isn’t really public transportation. More or less it’s just a person who buys a bus and rides a certain route. Although some people create more of a business out of it by buying many buses and hiring drivers and cobradors – the guys who yell at you to get on the bus and collect the money. So because the buses are individually owned they are all different. Some are old school buses, others really ghetto old, some mini-vans and some nicer Mercedes brands (or at least with Mercedes signs).

Tuesday, on the ride from San Vicente back home, we got on the most pimped out and awesome bus EVER! It had not only one but three Mercedes symbols on the front grill with tire flaps in the front and back of the bus with drawings of Christ and other religious symbols. Inside, it was kinda dark, nicely painted, with green curtains, giving it the feel of a dance club, or nice lounge perhaps. But never forgetting religion here, there was a huge sign reading “Dios es Amor” (God is Love). And when we first got on they weren’t playing music, but later they started playing some Metallica. This bus had the most pimped out stereo system of all the buses so far. There was a huge base speaker in the front with two smaller speakers on either side of it and the best part was that the speakers had flickering lights and there was a disco ball in the front of the bus. If I had my choice, I would take this bus everyday. You could feel the base on your feet – it was so awesome. That bus ride alone made my day. And to top it off, as the bus drove away, there were airbrushed pictures of Jesus on the back windows!

Wednesday we went to San Salvador for the day to visit the main Peace Corps office there and the staff. I was so excited to be going into the city. After living the slow rural life for two weeks, I was definitely ready for the change to huge, loud, dirty city. And it was just that – huge and full of life. We didn’t really get to see any of the great sites of the city but we visited the new Peace Corps office, which is located in a really nice, exclusive neighborhood. We visited some hotels where most volunteers stay and then went to MetroCentro – aka the mall. Booo…but it was a huge mall. If nothing else it was good to people watch, especially since about 97% of hot Salvadoran men can be found in the capital. I think it’s funny how people stare at us as a group of gringos – I always wonder what people are thinking, although usually I just make up their thoughts in my head. But it’s funny because whenever I see other white people I stare at them – like wow where are you from and what are you doing here? Like this group of three white guys sitting a table over from us at lunch – about my age, no older than 30. But they were from Riverside and in El Salvador to buy property – how kick ass is that! I want to try to pull off being from a Spanish-speaking country. Cuz people will ask me where I’m from, I want to say, oh from here, or Chile, or Mexico and see if they believe me.
I thought I was going to hate the capital and never want to go there because of the danger factor but I liked it and can’t wait to get back to hit up some museums and bars!!!