Buenos Dias!
We arrived in San Salvador, El Salvador on July 11, 2010. It was a bit bumpy at first, but we are settling in very nicely. The first week we stayed at a nearby home of the General Director/Templetons while I recovered (from bronchitis/pneumonia) and the house was being finished with repairs/updates/etc...and Rich and Cole went shopping for things for the house (we did not ship anything - only took suitcases/bags). We live in the "Complejo" of Escuela Americana - a group of residences (apartments, town homes and houses) for international hires. It is connected with the school itself, so we can all walk to work/school. Here is the website of the school: https://www.amschool.edu.sv/index.htm and if you go to the Careers section there is some information including an EA Video.
We were able to move in the following Sunday (house looks wonderful); it is good to be home with all of us together (Rich, Cole, Chloe, Spencer and myself), if not completely settled in; and on that day we made our way to the coast to explore and see the ocean. It was a rainy day, but we found a nice place to eat lunch and take a walk along the rocky coast line in Libertad (35 min drive) and see crabs scuffling around the rocks.
Rich started work on Monday, July 19 as the Director of the Upper School/Secondary School. Escuela Americana is a pre-k - 12 school that follows the traditional educational model of the United States where the majority of the kids are Salvadoran. During the week when Rich was working, Cole and I shopped for a few more things for the house while finding fun things to do here and there...and Haydee who will be working in our home arrived on Tuesday. Haydee had been working for another family who just left/moved for an international school in China after being here for 6 years. It is generally expected with your posting/position that you hire someone ---- and it certainly will be nice/helpful (especially with the climate) and another opportunity to learn/use Spanish since she has very limited English. So this week was a process for Cole and I to get settled and connected with various people and places. Here is a quick run down of our week.
Monday, Cole and I went to the school to get Cole's uniforms and school supplies. I met a woman named Sophia from Guatemala (lived in ES for 3 years) with her 5 year old son Santiago - while standing in line. Later on I asked her if we could get together with the boys to play and we exchanged numbers.
Tuesday, Haydee arrived and we all went to the supermarket to get items for the house/kitchen and food. Haydee selected various things she needs for house/cleaning/cooking and food items for dinners. All of this with my VERY limited Spanish and navigational knowledge of the area. All in all, it went well. We also went to a nearby "park" to do something fun with Cole. It is certainly a process, again with our limited Spanish and her limited English, to get acquainted and used to one another -- and introduce her to my very active and independent 5 year old son.
Wednesday, July 21 was my 40th Birthday! It was fun to be spending it in El Salvador. Haydee had the Complejo/EA (school) gardener gather some beautiful flowers and deliver it to the house - they were lovely and smelled wonderful (gardenias in the mix). Cole and I met Sophia and Santiago at a Pizza Hut (yes, one with a large play area) for a play date - which I think we will get to know well. She is very nice; Santiago and Cole were friends towards the end; and Cole enjoyed playing with a couple older kids there as well (universal language of play!). Cole has been craving other people/kids - so I am trying to find and make connections whenever possible. I then got a pedicure (Cole on my lap also soaking his feet) at a nearby salon for $10 - very nice! Rich came home at 3:30pm and we made our way to the coast to a restaurant called Beto's in Libertad (about a 40 min drive) on the cliffs above the ocean with a margarita in the mix. Cheers!
Friday, Cole and I had another play date this time with Christy (she works in the Extension program at the school and her husband works at the US Embassy) and her kids Xavier (6), Rebecca (4) and Ally (3). Where did she suggest? Pizza Hut! So we met up there again - at this point I am going along with whatever is suggested, and at least I do know how to get there. We will likely get together again next week. And she clued me in on a few more places (zoo, anthropology museum, art museum, botanical gardens...) to go with kids that we will check out.
Saturday, we had a really fun outing to a town about 1 1/2 hours away or so...called Suchitoto. I enjoyed my time at Suchitoto as it is a bit off the beaten path. The drive there was interesting and I kept looking at the small towns and wondering if there was a Peace Corps Volunteer there - probably! Here is a description in a local travel guide: "Suchitoto in the Nahuat language means 'Place of Birds and Flowers'. This colonial city, with it's warm climate, architectural beauty and rich cultural heritage offers a number of interesting attractions... The central park, in the heart of the town, is the perfect jumping off place for a peaceful walk by the cobble stone streets, or to go for a stroll into the surrounding area." http://www.suchitoto-el-salvador.com/english/urbano.htm The town was known (long ago) as an indigo producer. Many/most towns have a "town centre" which includes a church (Catholic) and town square where there are shops, restaurants and other businesses. The church in this town is Santa Lucia's Church - I thought of my grandmother Lucy and my good friend Lucia... It is a beautiful church and has been recently restored. There was a market in the town square that we walked through and we went down a few of the cobble stone streets to find El Harlequin restaurant with local food items and I enjoyed my first local beer - Suprema from El Salvador. It all brought back good memories of when I was in Peace Corps - it seems local beers taste a bit similar around the world. In Kenya it was Tusker...and I cannot think of the local brew in Uganda - anyone? (Aaron?)
The other place to highlight in the town is the Center for the Arts and Peace. It is a church originally of the Dominican Nuns and has recently been beautifully restored and reopened as a center for the arts and peace. At the time we visited, there was an art class going on that we observed and spoke with the instructors who are volunteering there for 6 weeks from California. The kids were outside drawing plants. Cole also got in on the fun and painted a picture of a "forest fire" with his favorite color - red/rojo! And you can see an example of the rich indigo color in the picture of the hanging material.
This blog is already super long....but I wanted to get in our ventures of the past two weeks. I will end it for now and say bienvenidos to our first blog posting!
We arrived in San Salvador, El Salvador on July 11, 2010. It was a bit bumpy at first, but we are settling in very nicely. The first week we stayed at a nearby home of the General Director/Templetons while I recovered (from bronchitis/pneumonia) and the house was being finished with repairs/updates/etc...and Rich and Cole went shopping for things for the house (we did not ship anything - only took suitcases/bags). We live in the "Complejo" of Escuela Americana - a group of residences (apartments, town homes and houses) for international hires. It is connected with the school itself, so we can all walk to work/school. Here is the website of the school: https://www.amschool.edu.sv/index.htm and if you go to the Careers section there is some information including an EA Video.
We were able to move in the following Sunday (house looks wonderful); it is good to be home with all of us together (Rich, Cole, Chloe, Spencer and myself), if not completely settled in; and on that day we made our way to the coast to explore and see the ocean. It was a rainy day, but we found a nice place to eat lunch and take a walk along the rocky coast line in Libertad (35 min drive) and see crabs scuffling around the rocks.
Rich started work on Monday, July 19 as the Director of the Upper School/Secondary School. Escuela Americana is a pre-k - 12 school that follows the traditional educational model of the United States where the majority of the kids are Salvadoran. During the week when Rich was working, Cole and I shopped for a few more things for the house while finding fun things to do here and there...and Haydee who will be working in our home arrived on Tuesday. Haydee had been working for another family who just left/moved for an international school in China after being here for 6 years. It is generally expected with your posting/position that you hire someone ---- and it certainly will be nice/helpful (especially with the climate) and another opportunity to learn/use Spanish since she has very limited English. So this week was a process for Cole and I to get settled and connected with various people and places. Here is a quick run down of our week.
Monday, Cole and I went to the school to get Cole's uniforms and school supplies. I met a woman named Sophia from Guatemala (lived in ES for 3 years) with her 5 year old son Santiago - while standing in line. Later on I asked her if we could get together with the boys to play and we exchanged numbers.
Tuesday, Haydee arrived and we all went to the supermarket to get items for the house/kitchen and food. Haydee selected various things she needs for house/cleaning/cooking and food items for dinners. All of this with my VERY limited Spanish and navigational knowledge of the area. All in all, it went well. We also went to a nearby "park" to do something fun with Cole. It is certainly a process, again with our limited Spanish and her limited English, to get acquainted and used to one another -- and introduce her to my very active and independent 5 year old son.
Wednesday, July 21 was my 40th Birthday! It was fun to be spending it in El Salvador. Haydee had the Complejo/EA (school) gardener gather some beautiful flowers and deliver it to the house - they were lovely and smelled wonderful (gardenias in the mix). Cole and I met Sophia and Santiago at a Pizza Hut (yes, one with a large play area) for a play date - which I think we will get to know well. She is very nice; Santiago and Cole were friends towards the end; and Cole enjoyed playing with a couple older kids there as well (universal language of play!). Cole has been craving other people/kids - so I am trying to find and make connections whenever possible. I then got a pedicure (Cole on my lap also soaking his feet) at a nearby salon for $10 - very nice! Rich came home at 3:30pm and we made our way to the coast to a restaurant called Beto's in Libertad (about a 40 min drive) on the cliffs above the ocean with a margarita in the mix. Cheers!
Friday, Cole and I had another play date this time with Christy (she works in the Extension program at the school and her husband works at the US Embassy) and her kids Xavier (6), Rebecca (4) and Ally (3). Where did she suggest? Pizza Hut! So we met up there again - at this point I am going along with whatever is suggested, and at least I do know how to get there. We will likely get together again next week. And she clued me in on a few more places (zoo, anthropology museum, art museum, botanical gardens...) to go with kids that we will check out.
Saturday, we had a really fun outing to a town about 1 1/2 hours away or so...called Suchitoto. I enjoyed my time at Suchitoto as it is a bit off the beaten path. The drive there was interesting and I kept looking at the small towns and wondering if there was a Peace Corps Volunteer there - probably! Here is a description in a local travel guide: "Suchitoto in the Nahuat language means 'Place of Birds and Flowers'. This colonial city, with it's warm climate, architectural beauty and rich cultural heritage offers a number of interesting attractions... The central park, in the heart of the town, is the perfect jumping off place for a peaceful walk by the cobble stone streets, or to go for a stroll into the surrounding area." http://www.suchitoto-el-salvador.com/english/urbano.htm The town was known (long ago) as an indigo producer. Many/most towns have a "town centre" which includes a church (Catholic) and town square where there are shops, restaurants and other businesses. The church in this town is Santa Lucia's Church - I thought of my grandmother Lucy and my good friend Lucia... It is a beautiful church and has been recently restored. There was a market in the town square that we walked through and we went down a few of the cobble stone streets to find El Harlequin restaurant with local food items and I enjoyed my first local beer - Suprema from El Salvador. It all brought back good memories of when I was in Peace Corps - it seems local beers taste a bit similar around the world. In Kenya it was Tusker...and I cannot think of the local brew in Uganda - anyone? (Aaron?)
The other place to highlight in the town is the Center for the Arts and Peace. It is a church originally of the Dominican Nuns and has recently been beautifully restored and reopened as a center for the arts and peace. At the time we visited, there was an art class going on that we observed and spoke with the instructors who are volunteering there for 6 weeks from California. The kids were outside drawing plants. Cole also got in on the fun and painted a picture of a "forest fire" with his favorite color - red/rojo! And you can see an example of the rich indigo color in the picture of the hanging material.
This blog is already super long....but I wanted to get in our ventures of the past two weeks. I will end it for now and say bienvenidos to our first blog posting!
Amy! Thank you for sharing your adventures with all of us :) I look forward to more posts and getting inspired to travel. Glad to hear you are all settling in well, too.
ReplyDeleteHeather W.
Sounds like an exciting time so far! I hope you're feeling better. Can't wait to follow your journey.
ReplyDeleteHola Amy,
ReplyDeletegreat blog! what an adventure! feel like i am on the beach too! kacy
Amy, I love reading your blog. Thank you for taking the time to keep us posted
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Valarie