Days One Through Five Recap by Tess

Day 1, Friday, November 21: Travel
When our plane was landing in El Salvador, the descent was very rough. It was actually kind of scary. So when we landed (safely) I leaned over to my friend Alyssa and I said 'I bet if I clap, everyone else will too.' So I started clapping, and sure enough, everyone clapped! It was my little 'social experiment.' We also started a new catch-phrase- 'not appropriate.'

Day 2, Saturday, November 22:
Had a great day- slept in all morning and then went to two museums (modern art and anthropology)! Side note, the exhibit at the art museum was Joan Miro, my favorite painter!! Then the hotel threw us a party and even hired a singer for the evening!

Day 3, Sunday, November 23:
The excursion was fun today. We went to three small towns and saw a huge lake. Also we had a pretty amazing lunch in a tiny little town. Each town that we went to specialized in something different- linens, ceramics, etc. Then when we got back, there were fireworks in this little plaza by our hotel to celebrate the beginning of the Christmas season.

Day 4, Monday, November 24:
I am freaking exhausted. I have a headache too... :( BUT it was awesome and totally worth it. We went to the community that we will be working with, and the kids had prepared a huge presentation, complete with ice breakers, a choreographed dance, speeches, etc. It was incredible. Then we played soccer with the kids and took a tour of the slums where the kids live. We were shown where the legal housing ends and the illegal slum housing begins. It is so dangerous in the rainy season because the housing is built in such a precarious manner- thank goodness we are here during the dry season. Then we went to the community that my program worked with last year, and saw a community clinic and another soccer field. All in all an overwhelming day. The kids are freaking adorable though- I can't wait to work with them for four weeks. The project we will be helping them with is an environmental awareness campaign initiated by the youth. Incredible.

Day 5, Tuesday, Today:
Today was really good and really bad at the same time. I'll share the good part first. This morning, we got up early and participated in a march to raise awareness about violence against women. We walked for about an hour and a half through the area surrounding the 'Metrocenter'- basically, we stopped traffic in the busiest part of the city. It was a phenomenal experience to see thousands of women marching, chanting, holding signs, and wearing t-shirts all for this same cause. Then, we ended the march at the government complex with their Supreme Court, Congress, and other important buildings. The organizers hand-delivered letters and petitions (which I signed!) requesting that the goverment work to solve a certain rape/murder of a young girl that has currently not been solved. It was very powerful.

After the march, we went to the chapel where Father Romero was shot. He was the archbishop of San Salvador, and was highly instrumental in organizing the marginalized campesinos in a civil war against the oppressive rule of the government. The civil war was very devastating for the country, and it ended quite recently in 1991. But, the war was also very necessary to bring about political rights for the campesinos. The chapel was so powerful- it felt like there was a presence radiating from the altar where he died. We also visited his home, and saw the actual vestements he was wearing at the moment he was shot- complete with dried blood and the bullet hole. It was a bit overwhelming.

-Tess Cromer