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Stacy's View on Things
Page 3
Monday - back in San Salvador. We go to the mall again (same one as on my first day here) and stroll around. I need a haircut and Louise does not have the stuff to do it like she usually does at home so I go to a barbershop for the first time in probably 15 years. This time instead of an old man with "whatcha want sonny" and the horsehair brush - it is some fancy looking salon with girls in high heel shoes and mini-skirts. (Louise was there as well - don't worry!) Playboy was available for my reading pleasure. I remember from years ago when they spray the liquid on your hair it used to take several sprays before my hair got wet - now it is just one squeeze and I feel it hit my scalp! Anyway the girls do a good job - and Luis and I both get a haircut for $7.00 total ($3.50 each).
Some more thoughts...I love the way most Salvadoran food is served with
fresh lemon squeezed on top. Salads, meats, fish, even a beer tastes good
with a lemon (which is what we would call a lime actually) squeezed on top.
Plumbing continues to be a problem here, there is not a reliable source of
water pressure anywhere in the country. Both the beach house we stay at
and the house in San Salvador have water pressure problems. On an average
day the pressure here will be okay during off peak hours - but at for
example about 5:00 p.m. the water will just trickle out of the faucet. It
doesn't even have enough pressure to make it up to the showerhead though.
The standard procedure for flushing the toilet is to fill a bucket with
water and dump it into the toilet. I am getting pretty good with my aim
and can get the toilet flushed in about one 2 gallon shot now.
We watch the big soccer game between Honduras and Brazil. I am thinking a little bit about Uncle Bob living in Brazil during the days of Pele. But I am rooting for Honduras now after meeting Pipo and his family. I was not optimistic about their chances - but they do win! Now the next game (this Thursday) is against Colombia. We find out from Luis the story of Honduras in these games. The games are hosted by Colombia this time. Starting a couple of weeks ago there was a big controversy about Colombian guerillas threatening problems - especially for the team from Argentina (saying they would kill them if they came). They also kidnapped some official from the games. So Argentina and Canada actually decided to not come to the games. And Honduras (who had already been eliminated as a participant) was given one of these extra slots. And then they beat Brasil and now they play Colombia.
Today went to see a national park - with a volcano and hiking trails, etc.
It was truly beautiful, a totally different experience than what I had
seen so far. And so cool in the shade that we were glad we had brought our
windbreakers, etc. to stay warm with until the sun came up a little higher
in the morning. The kids were not in a very agreeable hiking mood however,
and there was a little family spat about that. Dad would like to have made
it to the top of the volcano! But it was cloudy anyway and the view would
not have been very good anyway (with the clouds actually covering the top
of the volcano). Jonathan tells us these are "alluvial" clouds - something
he learned in fourth grade!
Here are a few more pictures from the trip to Cerro Verde (Green Mountain) overlooking the Izalco Volcano.
The story goes like this: The Izalco Volcano was in eruption for many years and was visible from ships sailing
on the Pacific Ocean off the coast of El Salvador. So it was dubbed "The Lighthouse of the Pacific". The
government tourism ministry decided to build a park and hotel on the adjacent mountain (Green Mountain). Oodles
of money was spent on this beautiful park with hiking trails and a very nice hotel, and as soon as it was finished
the Izalco Volcano stopped erupting. Oh well...
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Went to a brand new bowling alley tonight. It was amazing - really state of the art bowling. The place was a converted theatre and only one year old. It had something I have never seen before - automatic "alley guards". These are usually long rubber tubes that are placed in the gutters for younger bowlers so the ball will not go into the gutter. At this place they were automatic - and controlled by computer. You type the names of all the bowlers and for each name you say if you want these things or not. Then when it is that bowler's turn they pop up. Pretty neat.
The security is everywhere here. For example even at that bowling alley there was an armed guard at the door. Presumably watching the parking lot for people stealing cars. When you go to the grocery store - as you enter the parking lot you are given a little ticket. You must present this ticket when you are leaving. We are told this system is to prevent car theft - as you are not allowed off the parking lot without the ticket you got as you entered. Of course Jonathan starts to think we can enter the parking lot with any old car - and then steal the Lexus we see! No system is perfect!
Wednesday we have lunch with Marielos at Tony Roma's. Then she gives us
the keys to her beach house and we are off to the beach one more time. Her
place is fabulous - and even has three working bathrooms. We all review
the bathroom where David cracked his head open when he was two years old -
and we remember the trip to the clinic in town. Of course David does not
remember any of it. The family of Marielos owns this place and it is
almost never used. Seems to me she should rent it out or something - it is
a crime to let this place just sit here. It is strange however that it is
generally hotter at the beach than it is in the city. The beach house is
built so the breeze from the ocean just really cannot blow through
the house. Unbelievably - the place also has central air conditioning -
which we actually use for a bit at night to cool off the bedrooms.
