Day 1: Arrival

24 hours and 4 mosquito bites later, I am writing from El Salvador! I can't believe I'm here.

I've hosed myself down with some Avon repellent (smells decent...almost pretty good, I'd say) for the day, in hopes of staying bite free today.


A week or two ago, Morelia and I discovered we were on the same flight to El Salvador. Mom and I ran into her at LAX and it was really nice to wait for our flight to El Salvador together. I didn't get much sleep on the plane ride over here, and Mom got none (serving as my trusty and unconditional pillow). Upon exiting the airport, all I could think of was: El Salvador still smells like El Salvador. It's a good smell, and familiar, distinct to this place. Costa Rica smells similarly, but different. I can't really describe it. My parents' old books smell like this too. Greeted Yesenia and her older sis warmly, who had come to pick up Morelia. It was so crazy to be in ES with these folks, even if for a brief moment.


The 2 hour ride from the capitol to San Miguel felt really fast. Though I really wanted to look out the window the whole way, I couldn't keep my eyes open for very long and dozed some more. Mom kept up conversation with our family friend Adolfo, who picked us up, and who we're staying with currently. My dad used to work in the photo shop they have downstairs.

All day yesterday, we couldn't get a moment's rest. I don't know how Mom had the energy to talk to everyone with such vivacity. The woman does not stop. Habla con medio mundo. One of her comadres came to visit, who took us to el Museo Regional de Oriente here in San Miguel, where I met the director of the museum, Saúl. He is such a sweet guy, and so passionate about and dedicated to his work. I explained some of my research questions to him and he busted out all these books, photographs from La Matanza in 1932, and talked us about what he knew and who I should hit up. I told him that I'd already contacted the director of the Biblioteca Nacional and the director of the Museo de la Palagra y la Imagen. He said those were good places that would have more information. Saúl was SO NICE and SO SWEET and SO HELPFUL. He even gave me PDF articles on the subject and on San Miguel, as well as some powerpoints. He made an interesting comment pertaining the governmental support they now have: "El cambio se sintió inmediatamente." They couldn't do much back when ARENA was in power, since they didn't get much funding, though he would collaborate with anyone interesting in organizing an event or an exhibit, regardless of political affiliation, he told us. At least the FMLN has seen the importance of supporting Salvadorian culture and history...even though perhaps the administration has been lagging it on implementing larger structural changes. Still, they still don't have much funding (he's using his personal computer at work, because though they've put in an order for one for the museum, they have yet to get funding for one). I was really moved by that and I really want to try to help. This might be the first fundraising project for UCSD's USEU when school starts again.

More things happened today, but I will write more tomorrow.