Why not El Salvador?

Endless, white beaches. And endless, black beaches. And not one human being in sight except yourself. About 25 vulcanos, some of them active. Some of the best surf spots of the continent. Excellent roads. Sea turtle projects and loads of other local development projects. This country has a world of possibilities for different kinds of tourism, and still the tourists shine with their absence. How come?

A regular question when I told people I was going to El Salvador was "Why El Salvador?". Since I'm here not as a tourist but as a student doing a minor field study, my answers were usually accepted without further confusion. However, if you intend to visit this country as a backpacker or a regular tourist, you'll find it hard to convince your friends back home that El Salvador is THE place to visit. You will probably hear things like: "Aah, you're going to Salvador, Brazil? No??", and; "Aren't people getting killed there all day long??", or; "Isn't there a war going on there?", or; "What does El Salvador have that other countries don't?", or; "Why not go to Guatemala instead, I heard they have indigenous people and Spanish courses there", and most likely; "Bye the way, where the hell is El Salvador located??".

The most serious obstacles to international tourism in El Salvador seem to be its small size and its bad reputation. Basically, Europeans don't know that El Salvador exists, and if they know something about it, they know about THE VIOLENCE PROBLEM. And yes, El Salvador has problems with high criminality rates and scores about second place in the world regarding the number of murders per capita (about 40-50 per 100 000 inhabitants). However, there are some zones that are insecure and others that are not. The killing is mostly gang members killing each other. There are things you just don't do, like taking the bus at night, wearing jewlery for everyone to see or flashing your lap top. You avoid zones controlled by the maras (criminal gangs). And something you might not know is that Guatemala, too, has problems with maras. But that country has no problems at all attracting tourists. Guatemala has managed to put itself on the map and spread its reputation as an awesome place to visit. Guatemala has indigenous people and Maya temples, and they know to market these particularities. El Salvador, too, needs to understand its unique features and spread the word about itself in order to attract tourists.

A friend, who works at the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, said that before there can be any success in tourism in El Salvador, the Salvadorans themselves need to travel the country more and get to know the place. The internal tourism has yet to be developed. Considering its small size and the almost flawless roads connecting all parts of the country, it's quite strange that Salvadorans don't travel more. It's a cultural problem, my friend said. No tradition of exploring new sites, to leave the familiar for the unknown. I don't know if he's right. But I agree that the Salvadorans should appreciate the beauty of their country more, and take better care of the environment. Poverty is not the biggest obstacle, the middle class is big and the people relatively well educated. But in order to develop love and care for the nature, integrated education about the topic is needed. However, I think that increasing tourism could have good implications for this kind of counciousness in the people, and not only the other way around. It depends on what kind of tourism we're talking about, of course. I think that El Salvador could offer something unique to more alternative tourims, such as eco- and adventure tourism. Climb a vulcano by day, save a turtle by night. Visit Barra de Santiago to learn more about some of the country's excellent local development projects. Surf in Punta Roca, one out of many famous surf spots. Meet the faboluos Salvadoran people and anjoy their hospitality and creativity. Enjoy Salvadoran theatre. And if you're into history, visit the university and learn more about the cruel civil war that ended just 16 years ago. El Salvador offers something for everyone who is open minded enough to embrace it. For everyone who is curious enough to overcome the myth of the rule of violence. Get over it!!

Welcome to El Salvador!


In my opinion...

... cheap theatre is THE BEST.
... political polarization sucks.
... Swedish weddings should adopt some Latino elements.

How political are you?

Today I started to chat with a teacher at a rural school in Barra de Santiago. After about two minutes of conversation he asked me:

- So, how's the situation in Sweden at the moment?

- The situation concerning...?

- Well, the political situation?

Situations like this is what almost makes me consider moving to El Salvador for good. Imagine a regular Swede asking a foreigner the same question, after just knowing the person for a couple of minutes! Suddenly, the teacher and I got into a conversation about Swedish social security and the need for sex education in El Salvador. One reason for bringing up sex education is the fact that El Salvador is 20 times smaller than Sweden but has a population of almost the same size. While in Sweden the big proportion of elders will become a serious problem in the near future, in El Salvador the situation is reversed. The Salvadoran people is a young one.

Today, I just love it here. I guess leaving the city and going to the countryside is good for my well-being. I got back to the office a couple of hours ago, but tomorrow morning at 5 (!!) I'll be leaving for the beaches of La Unión, a department situated quite far from Santa Tecla (by car though, not in a bus like the one in the picture). And in the evening, a cool party awaits. Forget about feeling homesick, Valborg is nothing compared to chasing waves in El Salvador!

In my opinion...

... El Salvador has the coolest buses ever.

... there's nothing like a cold milkshake when you're sweating like a monster.

... I will definitely show the Salvadorans that Swedes sure know how to dance!

The curse of the daily routine

What is it that makes you start romantisizing your home country wildly about a week after setting foot in another country?

Yes, right now in this very moment I miss Sweden! I miss the spring that had not yet arrived when I left. I miss my friends, my family. I want to be home for Valborg! I know I have no right whatsoever to complain. Here I am, enjoying 35 degrees, an extraordinary landscape and amazing people. And I've only been here for a week! I guess this is what happens when the daily routine makes its presence. I'm not here on vacation, I'm here to do a case study for my thesis, remember?? I guess what's bothering me the most right now is that I'm waiting for the school I want to either accept or deny my request. I'm waiting for plan A to work out or for plan B to be put in its place. And I have not yet decided exactly what plan B would be. I'll just have to wait and hope. And accept that I cannot control everything. On Monday I'll know.

One thing is for sure, however. The agenda for the rest of the week is more than promising! Visits to Barra de Santiago, to la Unión, and three different parties are on the schedule. I already have a lot of friends here who are taking care of me, and somehow I start feeling like home. But of course, it's difficult to be so dependent on other people. I will never learn how the bus system works (does it even deserve to be called a "system"??). I rely on others to tell me which streets are safe and which are not. I need people with cars to take me wherever I need to go, and to bring me back home at night. It's a good experience, I know, but changing your life overnight is challenging.

But I'll tell you what I love with this country: I love that it's mango and avocado season, my two favourite fruits in the world! I love that the sun is always there (even though I haven't seen it so much since I'm mostly in the city right now). I love the sea and to watch the wild waves (will surf soon!). I love my friends here and the hospitality of the people. And that they know how to party like we party in Uppsala! Also, I know that I'll feel better as soon as I can start working on my study for real. Right now, I'm tired of just reading articles and formulating theories. Let me out on the field!!

That's all for now. Tomorrow, I'm off to the sea. It's time to get that tan, you know.


In my opinion...

...the grass is always greener on the other side.
...air pollution is f****ng annoying.
...Latin American theatre rocks!

Where's the bus?

Increasing food prices, bus strike, elections and the pope visiting the U.S. That's what's on the front pages of the newspapers in El Salvador at the moment. What's on the front page of my life?

I arrived here two days ago, but as they always say; it feels like so much longer. I guess the reason I already feel like home in this country is not only because it's my second visit, but mostly thanks to the genuine kindness of all people I've met so far. I guess you've heard that one before. Our own people are cold and boring, people far away are warm and welcoming. Sometimes it might not be true, but in the case of El Salvador it is definitely the case. I believe that being a stranger here is much easier than being a stranger in many other parts of the world. Right now, I don't care about non-existing bus schedules, dirty streets or the threat of armed robbery. What matters are the conversations I have, the knowledge I gain from each moment, the creativity and the political counsciousness of the people. The fields are unbelievably green. The waves are both tempting and intimidating. The vulcanos are asleep. I go for the principle "The more smiles you give, the more smiles you get". I try to listen carefully, I try to learn before I act. I'm a pupil in this country, I'm asking, observing and I want to understand. It's sometimes a tiring role. But it's a role everyone in the world should try, especially those of us who think we know it all.

So that's the news in my life. What about the newspaper news?

Rapidly increasing food prices is a serious problem in El Salvador, and probably the single issue concerning people the most. The currency used is the dollar, and when the US is going down, El Salvador goes down with it. In fact, not only food but all kinds of goods and services are more expensive by the day. Increasing fuel prices have resulted in more expensive bus tickets, a disaster for common people who are dependent on buses to get to their jobs. For a person earning minimum salary (about 160 dollars/month), about 26 percent is now spent on public transport! This situation has resulted in some bus companies (there are a lot of them in every city) all around the country simply taking their buses out of service, while others increase the ticket price even more. Some more chaos in an already chaotic public transport system...

Elections are held every fifth year in El Salvador. The next ones will not happen until early next year, and according to law, campaigning is not allowed as early as 9 months before elections. However, more or less discrete, the game has already begun. According to the newspapers, the ruling right-wing party ARENA is loosing support. Almost 38 percent says that they would vote for Mauricio Funes, presidential candidate for the left-wing party FMLN, if the elections were today. 27 percent says they would vote for the ARENA candidate Rodrigo Ávila. Part of the explanation might be that Mauricio Funes, who worked as a journalist for many years and quite recently got formally involved in politics, is a very popular person with a reputation of being transparent and honest. Also, ARENA elected their candidate very late, which might also be a disadvantage. Well, the least one can say is that a lot can and will happen until the actual elections next year.

And lastly: El Salvador is a catholic country, no doubt… The pope’s visit to America is a big thing in the newspapers, and one article proudly declares that a Salvadorian boy assisted in the welcoming ceremony. Remember that 2 millions out of 10 millions Salvadorians live in the U.S., so no wonder that big news there are big news here.


In my opinion…
…the two men who just recently raped a 1 year old baby should be sent to the Rapist Planet and there rape each other and other rapists the rest of their lives.
…there should be more organizations like Asociación Barra de Santiago.
…traditional Salvadorian breakfast is just lovely!