Life in El Salvador

Feliz Navidad!

2011-12-25T09:23:00.001-08:00

Hello Readers,

This blog is not forgotten or abandoned. It has been a while since an update was posted but this is due to life getting in the way!

I continue to answer emails on a daily basis and help those with questions!

Feel free to email me as needed if you have any questions or comments.

New posts will come as I find new topics, I am open to suggestions alike!

Feliz Navidad y Prospero Ano Nuevo!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Lost or Stolen Passport

2011-11-14T20:08:00.000-08:00

If you are an American Citizen living or traveling in El Salvador and you should have your passport lost or stolen there is not much useful information on the Internet.

This should help:

You will need a copy of your passport and a photo ID from the USA (such as a state drivers license). If you do not have a photo ID then you will need a copy of your original birth certificate. The embassy will not help you get that so my recommendation is to use Vitalcheck (www.vitalcheck.com) to order it and then have a family member in the USA ship it here express (3-5 business days) with USPS / Fedex (about 50-70 dollars).

If you do not have a copy of your passport (big mistake), you will need to at least have the passport number and even then, it may be more complicated.

So now, you have a copy of your passport and one of the needed documents... how do you proceed?

Lost

If your passport was lost, skip this and go to the part that says "Dealing with the Embassy" below.

Stolen

You must go to the nearest police booth for the PNC (El Salvador Police force). You have to report the passport stolen. You cannot request a replacement from the Embassy if you do not do this step. You will need to bring a Spanish speaking friend if you do not speak Spanish. You will explain what happened, they will give you a signed + stamped police report.

Dealing with the Embassy

You can print the replacement forms online. You need to print and fill out form DS-11 which is an application.

http://travel.state.gov/passport/forms/ds11/ds11_842.html

And also the Lost/Stolen passport form.

http://travel.state.gov/passport/forms/ds64/ds64_845.html

DO NOT SIGN ANY OF THE FORMS. YOU HAVE TO DO THIS IN FRONT OF THE EMBASSY INDIVIDUAL WHO ASKS YOU TO.

You can take your own 2x2 photo against a white background. Make sure head and shoulders show. Print it on photo paper and bring it. Or get a passport photo taken anywhere else for $5.00

Now, gather all the paperwork. If you do not have a way to print these forms you can go to the Embassy between 8:15 AM and 11:30 AM and ask for them. You will go to Window 4. They speak English. They will give you those forms and send you home to fill them out.

Making an Appointment

Now that you have all the forms, you have to make an appointment on their website (only way).

http://sansalvador.usembassy.gov/american-citizens/appointment.html

Choose Passport - Other services.

You can pick the day and time slot. You will show up to the US Embassy.

It is located in Santa Elena at the end of the Boulevard Santa Elena. Anybody in the country can tell you how to get to the gigantic USA Embassy.

You will enter the visitors entrance (not the entrance where all the people are waiting on Visa's).

Bring $135 dollars in cash or a CREDIT (NO DEBIT!) card to pay the fees. There are no ATM's inside the Embassy.

At the first security checkpoint expect to empty pockets and take your belt off - you can leave your shoes on. Present the appointment paper and also a form of ID.

You will be sent out the security checkpoint, walk straight back to a brown sign and turn left. Keep left until the second set of doors. You will walk in - repeat security procedure - and the guard will send you to the doors on the left. Walk through and head straight to Window 4 and present your appointment paper. You will get a number "A-xxxx". You will be attended by number. Remember, you have to be there between 8:15 AM and 11:30 AM those are the hours. Your appointment will give specific time.

You will get called to Window 1 or 2. Explain the situation briefly. The agent will take the papers - and give you the ticket for $135 to pay. Return to window 1 to pay it. You will be told to sit down - you'll be called.

When you are called, walk back to the Window that calls you. They will ask how it got lost or stolen - explain.

You will get a receipt with a proof of payment and a date written (It is 2 weeks - 14 days). You come back to pick up your passport on that date.

You get a full normal passport.

If you have travel plans sooner than 2 weeks they give you a temporary passport that servers only for a return trip to the USA.

Links:

General passport forms and resources: http://travel.state.gov/passport/forms/forms_847.html
USA Embassay in El Salvador: http://sansalvador.usembassy.gov/
Regular contact: http://sansalvador.usembassy.gov/service.html
Emergency contact: http://sansalvador.usembassy.gov/citizen-services/emergency.html

Getting a NIT

2011-09-19T17:16:00.000-07:00

You may have heard many different things about a NIT during your time in El Salvador. A NIT is similar (in some ways) to a Social Security Card in the USA.

That is to say, the NIT is used for tax purposes. You need a NIT to make large purchases in your name, run a business, import items (requires NIT de importador), etc. Many people find the need for a NIT when importing items from customs, purchasing a car or property in El Salvador.

Anyone can get a NIT. You do not need residency or citizenship in El Salvador. To get a NIT all you need is your US Passport (or Passport/Passport Visa) from your country. You will take your passport and visit the office to get a NIT. The offices are located at "Las tres torres" in San Salvador. This is the office I recommend. There is also an office in HiperMall however they have weird hours and seem to have slow service (although people swear it is faster).

The office behind Las Tres Torres is a medium sized office. Parking is available outside on the street. They charge $1.00 to watch your car. It is paid upon leaving. You will enter the office alone. If you do not speak Spanish well, you will need to wing it. They are very particular about letting someone in with you -- even a translator due to limited space. Once you go in there is a reception desk. The lady will ask if this is your first time for a NIT (primera vez) or if you are renewing. You will tell her first time, she will point you to the back of the building (in sight) on the right side. There is a line and a window. You will be asked if this is your first time or renewal. You will tell the lady first time (primera vez) and then pay, it is about $2-3 USD at this time. You will then return to the front and to the left of the reception desk is an area that says copies (Fotocopias).

You walk to the photocopy desk and pay $0.20 cents and hand them your passport. They will make a copy of your passport. Directly in front of the desk you will then notice a line, you will join this line and wait. Once you get to the front you will be called to one of many computer desks and you will hand the gentlemen your passport copy and colored paper slip. He will fill out a sheet, ask you to sign and then you will stand up and return to the right of where the photocopy desk is located. You will see other individuals standing there. This is where the NIT's are dispatched.

You will be called by first name. Once your name is called you will walk to the desk. You will be handed your actual NIT which you will sign the back of. You will then turn around and return to the photocopy desk (right behind you) and pay about $0.60 cents to have the NIT laminated. That is all. You're done.

Enjoy your new NIT. The total cost is about $4-$5 USD. I recommend you bring change to make paying for the copy and lamination easier or bring one dollar bills.

The entire process takes 20 minutes on a crowded day, much less if it is not crowded. Avoid going from 12-1 as you may catch them on lunch. They open between 8-9 AM and stay open until 5 PM but don't expect much after 4PM.

Good luck!

Where's your Spirit?

2011-06-14T19:14:00.000-07:00

It has been a long time in the making, however... they are finally here! That's right, Spirit now flies between the USA and El Salvador. They are currently flying from several major airports. They fly out of a lot including Washington Regan, Tampa Florida, Etc. I am not posting the complete list because I am sure it will change. You can find out more information here:

http://www.spirit.com/Default.aspx

The launch went off without a hitch. A friend of mine was on Flight 155 which was the first one to land here, last night @ 12:10AM Local time. It came from Tampa, Florida. There was a decent crowd and it was the last flight of the night. It was basically full.

He said the service was great, they were very attentive and even with extra baggage... his cost was STILL hundreds cheaper than the best TACA or AA flight. When they landed, there was a buffet and a huge amount of news crew in the airport to celebrate the new airline.

It was a great night and a great moment for El Salvador because it marks incredibly affordable airfare between El Salvador and the USA. I didn't have much content for a blog post, but it deserved a mention.

If you are flying here, CONSIDER SPIRIT. You can land a round trip (with baggage fees included) for under $300 from most destinations and under $200 from many.

Progorra - Extension (Tourist card + visa) + Leaving the country to Costa Rica

2011-05-31T14:59:00.000-07:00

Hello readers... today I bring you a very cool topic and my first hand experience. If you need a visa or tourist card extension, to visit the immigration office or need to know about leaving El Salvador to goto Costa Rica... this post is gonna be your one stop shop. In addition, if you have overstayed your tourist card -- I will talk about that to.

1. Going to Costa Rica

Why? Because it is outside the 4 countries that include El Salvador, Nicaragua, Hondorus and Guatemala. When you enter El Salvador you get a tourist card, it's good for 15, 30, 60 or 90 days. This card expires and once it does, you must LEAVE this region for 72 hours and return to get a new card. You can't just goto the 3 neighboring countries, the closest country that you can goto to restart your time is Costa Rica.

How? BUS! Tica Bus or King Quality are both luxiorious, safe bus lines that will take you to San Jose, Costa Rica. The price is currently $121.00, if you are a memeber of Hiper Europa shopping (I am) it's $109.00. You can purchase the tickets at their office in San Benito right before the traffic circle that takes you into "Zona Rosa". They are (King Quality and Tica) a few doors down from the great mexican restaurant, "Zocalo".

2. Overstayed Tourist Card

You have two options. One, leave the country by bus or airplane and pay the "Multa" of $114 upon leaving. You are free to re-enter. At the airport this is no big deal and does not set you back, on bus... you can get left at the border (seriously).

Second option: Goto the immigration office and pay the fine there and then ask for a Progorra aka Tourist card extension to leave the country. The "multa" is the same if paid at immigration.

3. Progorra (Tourist card extension)

The process for this depends on the type of extension you want. I personally find it much easier to leave the region for 72 hours, come back and get a new tourist card.

If you decide you want to get an extension you need:
-Original passport w/ stamp
-Passport sized foto
-Scanned, printed copy of photo page of passport
-Scanned, printed copy of last entry stamp.
-Name and telephone number of a national (citizen) who can account for your good conduct.

Note: it's much easier if you bring said person rather than just their name and phone number.

Once you get to the immigration office, you will enter the "compound". There is a door in the middle that says "Progorra and Visas" and that is where you will go. You will explain to them why, they will take documents, fill out form, ask your motives and take your finger prints. It costs $25 for a 1-15 day extension. The 90 day extension cost $95 at this time. This must be paid in cash, so go prepared.

The officials in the Immigration office are INCREDIBLY professional, courteous, polite and just wonderful at their jobs. I was attended by a wonderful young lady who helped me with a complicated issue. I wish I knew her name but I don't, but she was wonderful.

Apparantly they speak decent English, I speak fluent Spanish though, so I did not get the chance to test that.

The Progorra is given the same day (in a few hours) in most cases. It can take up to one day.

Do not wait until the last minute to travel or get an extension, do it a few days ahead of time.

Overall I would say that the Foreign Immigration office here is one of the best run offices in the entire country, with a well trained, attent staff. If you need to handle a visa or tourist card issue, don't fear going to immigration.

There are several immigration office but ONLY ONE HANDLES foreigner issues. So you will need to go to:

DIRECCIÓN DE EXTRANJERÍA

Conmutador: 2526 – 3413

Horario de Servicio: Lunes a viernes de 8:00 a.m. a 4:00 p.m., sin cerrar al mediodía.

Servicios: Trámites de Extranjería y trámites de visas y prórrogas.

Dirección: Colonia Escalón, Avenida Olímpica No 3571. Frente Centro Financiero HSBC, San Salvador.

My directions: Go to the "Paseo Escalon" as if you were heading towards Galerias (coming from outside the city center)...... keep going until you come to the "Beethoven" traffic circle and shopping center. Turn into the "Traffic Circle" and do the half rotation, exit the traffic circle on the extending road which is "Avenida Olimpica". Follow it for a few minutes and keep your eye out for a blue and white building.

If you get lost, just ask somebody for Avenida Olimpica. Once you get on the Avenida you can't miss the office. It's right in front of the MASSIVE HSBC bank / finance center.

El Salvador As It Continues...

2011-05-20T00:30:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since I have posted. Things have been pretty calm.

All I can really report is how things have changed here:

1) Economic Growth - Tons of new stores are opening, chains and local alike.
2) Walmart - Walmart now exists here (with the name Walmart), it replaced the old "Hiper Paiz".
3) Gas - Has gone up! We are at 4.70 a gallon for regular.
4) Electricity - For those who use over 200 KW/h a month it is now at 0.27 cents a KWH, which is DOUBLE or TRIPLE most US markets.
5) Food cost - has gone up due to gas.
6) Violence has not changed, nor for the good nor for the bad.
7) The economy has not had a negative impact on jobs - however they were rare to begin with.

Overall, living in El Salvador is a challenge and it is only for those who really are devoted. I have seen many come and go lately. The heat, the foreign culture, lack of ENGLISH.

I would never discourage anyone from visiting here nor moving here, but one needs to be prepare before making a decision. I encourage you to read my entire blog if you are planning a visit.

:-)

Rainy Season, Old Dirt Roads & President Obama

2011-03-27T20:43:00.000-07:00

President Obama recently visited El Salvador. What does that mean, or what did it mean? Simple: LOCURA! (Craziness).

There are banners and posters everywhere that say, "Welcome President Obama". There was nothing but talk of Obama for days. Its been a week now and last night at a restaurant a band that was playing said, "We dedicate our performance to Obama". THEY MADE A "PUPUSA" (the national food) our of dark rice and called it the "Obama" in honor of him. It's pure insanity. I don't get it. I guess for the people here it was a big honor. Considering what I have been through because of the USA (and yes, because of them not me nor my loved ones), I would have to say ... I wasn't that proud. But I have nothing against OBAMA personally, just the USA's laws in general. ANYWAY.......

A friend of mine who is opening a business came and we decided to traverse some old back roads. Word of advice: NEVER TAKE THE OLD ROAD TO SUCHITOTO, take the new route. The road is a disaster, steep 90 degree angles, impossible for anything less than an SUV to manage and even in a Ford Escape it wasn't fun.

We encountered HUGE holes in the road and finally a river. Yes a river, no bridge. The old style roads here are still there and not in good shape. There was no bridge and we had to move rocks by hand to cross the river and make a path. The result was an extra 2 hours on our trip and a whole lot of general craziness. We also ended up paying two friendly locals $2 each to help. (They helped free but we gave them money for their time and efforts).

The rainy season is coming and that means the dirt and gravel roads and all the roads "Antigua" aka old roads are going to become very hard to deal with. A few raindrops here and there are ushering in the rainy season and the climate is getting hotter. Anyone planning to visit should take this into account. While this is a very popular tourism time and also a great time for vacation, it means everyone needs to be careful.

Roads wash out, land slides occur and bridges seem to disappear. Roads take weeks to months to be repaired and conditions can be harsh. If you are traveling in the country then you should travel with an experienced driver or stick to major highways. Major roads include Autopista Comalapa, anything that starts with "Caraterra" and of course, anything marked on a map with a strong solid line (Google Maps). Just use common sense and stay safe.

Avoid passing close to river beds or visiting villages and houses on the river, the rainy season can overflow rivers with little to know warning.

Suchitoto, El Salvador

2011-01-28T14:36:00.000-08:00

You have probably heard many stories about Suchitoto, El Salvador. Read the tourist websites, seen a few pictures, right? Yeah. We finally took a road trip to Suchitoto.

It took us about an hour leaving from San Salvador (Actually, La Libertad, about 10 mins outside of Santa Tecla). I just wanted to share my experience and photos. This is not necessarily a travel blog, but occasionally I feel it can help to share special places and stores about El Salvador. Especially for those planning on living here.

My overall impressions are good. The town has an authentic, classic feel. People are incredibly polite (I mean it, even more so than the rest of El Salvador). The "lago" (lake) is beautiful, although it is man made. It is large. The overall beautiful thing about Suchitoto is the security. They tolerate 0 violence. It is one place in El Salvador where you have no risk. We walked the streets day and night, with cameras, on side roads, alone and nothing happened. In fact people looked out for us. It is a great place. Some basic merchandise is a little more expensive but it's mostly because of the tourism. There are very cheap accomodations.

We found a hostal/club/bar/restaurant with a beautiful lake view for about $7-10 bucks a night. It was clean and nice. Pictures are below. The business is for sale too, so if anyone is interested. The beer is cheap too, a bucket of 6 cold Pilsener costs $5.00 which means they are about $0.75 each. The owner is incredibly friendly, gave us a tour of the rooms and let us on the upper deck for the lake view at no cost.

Here are my pictures. I took these all. Feel free to make request for pictures of towns and areas. I travel around the country alot and will glady take pictures of certain areas on request.

(The Journey Begins)

(Along the road, entering Suchitoto)

(The gas station entering the town, one of the only, so fill up here, old style pumps! Full service - polite)

(Welcome!)

(The first park and church entering town, this is not the town square)

(Streets going into the upper town area)

(Town Square, Church, Park)

(Town Market, it's very Small, just souvenirs mostly)

(On the left, green sign, thats the place I mentioned, cheap rooms, very nice)

(Church)

(Fountain in park center, in front of church - good for pictures!)

(The nice hotel/restaurant/club I mentioned, again wonderful service, it's for sale too)

(Same business as above, view of lake looking off roof terrace)

(Entrance to another nice restaurant down the road)

(Inner city street. Clean, quiet, safe and peaceful)

(View of the lake, from the "Lake view" restaurant. Decent food - a bit pricey, good service, spectacular views)

(Lake view from the Turicentro found at the lake)

Christmas in El Salvador

2010-12-26T02:32:00.000-08:00

So you're wondering about life in El Salvador. Aside from the physical location change, what about traditions? What about Christmas... ?

Christmas in El Salvador is generally big. During the middle of November most of the capital city of San Salvador transforms into a Christmas influenced land. Traffic circles, parks, main highway strips and shopping centers get covered in lights, giant lighted polar bears, etc.

The commercial push is also big. There are many products available. Christmas lights, christmas tress, etc can be found at "La Ferreterria". These include Vidri, Gold Tree and Freund. Most Christmas decorations are the same price or more expensive in El Salvador.

Decorations

Christmas lights can be found in the Market as well as the hardware stores. Here is just a general idea:

Artifical Tree (6ft) - $150-200
Christmas Lights - $2-6
Garland - 3 for $1
Rope Lights (20ft) - $14
Inflatable Santa - $150

In other words, they are expensive. Things go on sale during the month of December with as much as a 40% discount. After Christmas it's always cheaper (to prepare for the next year).

Christmas Food

Most Christmas food can be found in the supermarket such as La Despensa de Don Juan or Super Selectos. Hiper Paiz, Europa also carry most stuff. The only hard to find item is Ham, this can be found at Kreef in Santa Elena or Super Selectos (Santa Elena/Metro Centro).

15 - 19 lb. Butterball Turkey - $24.99
Wine - $3.99 - 12.99
Vegetables (Canned) - $1.00
Jone's Diary Ham (8 lbs) - $24.99
Christmas Cookies - $1.99 - 6.99
Chocolates - $1.99 - 3.99
Christmas Basket (Gift) - $10 - 59.99

Fireworks

Sparklers - $1.00
Roman Candles - 3 for $1.00
Mortars (20 shot) - $19

So now you are wondering, what is the tradition here? It's fairly simple. Christmas might as well be the 24th, because the 25th is practically a normal day in El Salvador.

The 24th, buses still run, businesses are open late, fast food is open til 8 and 11PM, etc. Everyone gets together with their family around the late afternoon. Some families prepare large dinners, chicken or turkey is the food of choice. There is usually music, alot of talking and around 9 or 10PM the alcohol appears. Some families skip this part but the vast majority do not, especially the male members.

Everyone talks and drinks until Midnight, gifts are given to the children at midnight, sometimes before. At midnight everyone lights off fireworks, it's tradition. The sky is filled with loud booms and fireworks. No, not cheap fireworks - the professional mortar kind used in real firework shows. It's a WONDERFUL sight.

The chatter and fun goes on until the wee hours, some don't stop until 6 or 7AM, others tire out around 3AM.

Some families have slightly varied traditions but most celebrate in a very happy manner. I observed several families utilizing the secret santa game on Christmas. Before Christmas the entire family would put their names in a basket and each would take a name (in secret). They would buy a gift for that person. At midnight, the would start, the first person to go would describe the person who they have a gift for (without using their name). Once everyone guesses, that person got their gift, and had to describe their person. The game continued until everyone had a gift. They would then open the gifts.

Gifts are usually cheap and very limited. Kids don't receive much (except the wealthy). Everyone is happy regardless.

On the 25th, the roads are quiet, the parks empty and everyone with their families. The day seems normal compared to Christmas in other parts of the world. Many stores are closed but all fast food is open and gas stations, etc. There are some buses that run their routes, although not all. It is a little quieter, but almost feels like a normal day.

Events

There are varied Christmas events. Alot of clubs, bars and restaurants have Christmas events.

CIFCO brings some great shows during the holiday season, this year the two Christmas oriented shows that came were:

-Trans Siberia Orchestra (Music)
-Russia Christmas on Ice (Skate/Music/Dance)

Again, Christmas is a very happy time in El Salvador. It is sad to see it go and I know things will get quiet and possibly even boring from here forward.

It is ashame the Christmas spirit doesn't last all year, but at least it gives us something to look forward too.

Feliz Navidad to all my dearest readers. Cherish what you have and keep hope for the future.

(Below are some images of Christmas in El Salvador. These were not taken by me and their ownership and copyright belongs to their respective owners).

Volunteering/Help/Assistance

2010-12-12T22:10:00.000-08:00

As many of you know, I am not a big fan of the some of the larger help organizations in El Salvador. I have lived here long enough to know that too much of their work is a lie and too much of their donations go to the fat cats who live high up on the hills just outside of where I live in this little country called El Salvador.

But at last, that does not mean that all are rotten. I have seen some great organizations and some real results and it is made possible by people who dedicate time.

I am extending myself for Volunteer including helping fellow Americans who need transport or just orientation to El Salvador. I can also translate, I speak fluent Spanish and fluent English.

If any of my readers are in an organization that needs volunteers, let me know, I have transport, I know the land and I live locally in El Salvador (obviously).

Anybody else who needs help, voice it.... nobody likes to be alone in a strange place, there is help here....

-VidaSalvadorena

Spiritual Services in English in San Salvador

2010-12-09T09:14:00.000-08:00

Dear Readers,

If you are the spiritual type, or really just need a community of English in San Salvador, this may be for you. I am not particularly spiritual, but a fellow blog reader took the time to email me this and I figured I would share it. I do support any English based activities in San Salvador and this is now one of them, it sounds promising too.

Here is the email:

" For all english-speaking people in the country, Jehovah's witnesses in San Salvador are sharing bible literature and spiritual assistance in the English language as part of their worldwide volunteer work. They're holding meetings twice a week, which are all open to the public, in a Kingdom Hall located in Escalon, near the roundabout that many péple call "Luceiro", about four blocks from the World Trade Center if you're going up in the Calle El Mirador. I'm attaching a map of the exact location.

I hope this information is of help to English speaking folks here in the country."

So, thank you Hernan for your advice and for the following map:

Car Accidents in El Salvador

2010-11-12T22:33:00.000-08:00

After a long time living here, I have never had any experiences of the negative nature, including car accidents. However, I can now bring you my first hand experience of a car accident in San Salvador, El Salvador.

Several nights ago, I was in the passenger seat of my own car (somebody else was driving). Here, there are many "redondel" which are essentially circles, you drive in a circle and exit to the connecting streets. They have two lanes and people in the inside lane often attempt to exit to the outer roads, passing the outer lane. This is obviously dangerous and I have seen many others get in accidents doing such. Of course, that is exactly what happened.

After being hit on the side door, the other person took the liberty of speeding off without as much as a glance. The cops who were in seeing distance did not do anything, in-fact, it was as if nothing had happened. Other cars angrily honked, expecting us to move along ASAP. We did exactly that. No hit and run, no issue. The most common thing is when you get hit, drive away. Everyone does it, therefore if someone hits you, don't expect much.

Cars are generally not insured here, and mind wasn't. Body work is very cheap here. Paint and dents on 2 doors and several broken fender pieces (side fender).

A reputable body shop repaired and matched the paint on both doors for US $70. It is almost hard to believe something could be so cheap, especially car related. Said body shop is in Santa Tecla.

The plastic peices cost me $10-15 each at the "huesera" which is a bone-yard, you just tell them what you need and they pull it off a "dead" vehicle there. Prices are great and you can find almost anything. There are several, including 2 in Santa Tecla.

Japanese and Chinese cars are easiest to find pieces for. I happened to be in a Ford Escape which is more difficult, yet it was still an easy process.

All in All, remember not to get too upset. In El Salvador accidents are incredibly common and not a big deal generally. It's relatively cheap to get it fixed. Most people have several accidents a year. Driving standards here are very bad.

Several of my family in law, including several long-time motorists have been in 2-3 accidents yearly. It doesn't have to be your fault, other people will hit you, randomly. It's driving in the city in El Salvador.

I have been lucky, but I avoid the busy hours. Driving from 6-8PM is very hazardous. Mid-day is also a little rough in the city. If you are new or learning, Sundays in mid-day or around 2PM is best, the road is very empty and it is not nearly as dangerous.

I also decided to look into insurance. The best company for cars I am told is "Suiza". The cost for full coverage (COVERING EVERYTHING, period) for my 2001 Ford Escape is at $26 a month. Newer cars run up to $45-50 a month.

Insurance rates do not hike when you get in an accident, unlike in other countries. It is a hard decision, with repair costs so low, some may find insurance to be costly, yet with the high probability of accidents, it is worth the cost.

I welcome any thoughts regarding this subject via comments! :-)

Buying a Vehicle , Passing it into your name & "Registering" it.

2010-11-05T10:03:00.000-07:00

You are probably wondering what the requirements are to get a vehicle here in El Salvador. The truth is that the public transportation system is extensive but dangerous in some parts, therefore a vehicle will become necessary if you plan to live and work in El Salvador.

Purchasing a vehicle is quite simple. You can purchase a vehicle at a car lot or from a private owner. Car lot's usually prepare the "purchase paperwork" for you. A private seller does not, you will need to find a lawyer. It's a simple process.

Step 1. Make offer on vehicle, shake hands to confirm the sale.

Step 2. Seller has to go to a lawyer, buyer usually pays the cost of the paperwork ($20-50). Paperwork basically states that a sale is occurring, it details names of both seller and buyer and the price, VIN of vehicle, etc.

Requirements: You do not need a DUI to purchase a vehicle however you absolutely need a NIT.

Step 3. Goto Sertracen in San Salvador. Think of this as "DMV". There webpage is here, http://www.sertracen.com.sv/.

When you arrive at Sertracen you will need to present the paperwork from the lawyer, your DUI (or identity document), NIT and the old tarjeta de circulacion which the owner will give you with the vehicle.

They will then change the tarjeta de circulacion to your name or issue a completely new one for the year if the card is about to expire. Many people will sell their vehicles when the card is about to expire, making the process easier.

The cost varies based on the vehicle, for a 2001 Ford Escape (SUV) it cost $40.21 for everything. Most vehicles come with license plates, those do not need to be changed. If you should buy a vehicle without license plates, you will be charged an additional fee at Setracen.

The Tarjeta de Circulacion is ABSOLUTELY required. Driving without this card will result in severe consequences which include having your vehicle impounded, severe fines and possibly a few days being detained.

You do not need to worry about insurance in El Salvador. It is simply not required, however it is recommended. Many people do not use insurance, including myself. When I went to purchase insurance, it was cheap but covers practically nothing. The decision is yours, but accidents are more likely here due to the crazy driving.

Once you obtain the Tarjeta de Circulacion it has to remain in the vehicle, like a registration. It lasts for the year. That is the only thing you need after buying the vehicle, you are then ready to drive.

The process is truly easy and Sertracen is surprisingly efficent. It shouldn't take too long in Sertracen.

Once you apply for the tarjeta it does take a week to actually get it. They run a check to ensure you have no outstanding tickets, etc.

You can check the status of the application online, in real-time. This is very neat and surprisingly modern. When you visit the Sertracen building, go alone. They absolutely do not let guests enter and there is no seating out front, so your friends or family will have to sit on the ground. Only the person who will be asking for the card is allowed to enter.

(Setracen San Salvador, El Salvador)

Food, Clothes and Everything Else

2010-10-03T10:26:00.000-07:00

As you start your new life in El Salvador, you will probably need things such as clothes, shoes, food and personal products.

Some things in El Salvador may not be as easy to find as they were in your previous home. I have taken many months to adjust my life and begin to find the products I like. Some, you just have to do without, others you will pay double. The good news is, mostly everything can be found here today.

Here are just a few places to find some of your favorite products.

Hiper Paiz (Las Cascadas Mall, San Salvador)
-Owned by Walmart. Identical to Walmart. Great place to get socks, t-shirts, basic appliances and anything else you would go to Walmart for. They have an ample food section and you can typically find much better cuts of meat here for BBQ's, etc.

Hiper Europa (Escalon, San Salvador)
-Same as above, except better. You can find TV Dinners and rare cheese here such as Gouda. This is just about the ideal and most exclusive place to shop as an expat here. Many many wealthy locals shop in Hiper Europa as well, mainly because of their vast selection and location in Escalon. Great selection of personal care products.

PriceSmart
-Think Sam's Club, Costco, etc. Membership is 30 dollars a year. You can find many products here. Great for holiday decorations, BBQ Grills, rare food items, rare beverages, electronics and even household things. They have plenty in the club and even more you can order online. Visit www.pricemsart.com

Despensa De Don Juan & Super Selectos
-Smaller food markets, resembling Food Lion or Shop Rite. They have a good selection. You can find most stuff you will find in other countries, including pasta sauces such as Ragu, Prego, etc. All vegetables, even baslamic vinegar. Cheese selection is limited and they don't sell Ricotta. They have a small selection of kitchen appliances, pillows (bedroom), sheets, etc. On Wednesdays La Despensa has "Miercoles frescos", all vegetables are half price or less.

Vitamins/Health Products

-Farmacias Economicas

-Farmacia San Nicolas

(Many other pharmacies as well, scattered around -- 24 hrs mostly)

GNC - Same as in the USA.

Clothes & Shoes

-Payless Shoe Source (Various Locations)
(Same selection and presentation as in USA)

-Regge (Second level Metrocentro, in front of Siman -- Unicentro and other locations also)
(Pacsun style)

-Prisma Moda (Various Locations including Plaza Merliot and Unicentro Lourdes)

-Dorians & Siman (Gran Via, MultiPlaza, MetroCentro)
(Think Sears & Macy's)

Internet Tigo

2010-09-23T08:00:00.000-07:00

For everyone who is moving to El Salvador or already living in El Salvador, internet is probably going to be necessary.

Communication back home to the USA is just one of many uses. El Salvador may not be ahead in many areas, but they are great with internet coverage. Tigo has just recently upgraded their network here and the performance is well noted.

Starting October 1st, 2010 all customers of Tigo internet, will recieve DOUBLED SPEED for free. If you are on 1MEGA you are now 2 MEGAS, etc.

Tigo internet can be purchased by calling the contact center or visiting any of their locations. You will need to have a DUI to take out service and proof of El Salvador based income.

Tigo offers internet, phone and cable. To take out service, you need to have sufficent income.

Income
--------
$200 - You can have one service. IE Internet, cable or telephone but no package.
$400 - Two services.
$550-600 - You can get a package deal with all three services.

The cost varies but at this time it is around $60 a month for Cable, Internet (1 MEGA) and telephone. Installation is fast, for me it was same day. Service with the internet is almost flawless.

You can also purchased a prepaid wireless modem and use that if you do not have ingresos (income) to get a regular account. Wireless speeds vary and coverage is generally good. It is not the most reliable.

Perdoname...

2010-08-28T22:00:00.000-07:00

Dear Readers,

Please forgive me for the lack of updates. If you are in the process of moving here or need help please read this blog or email me, I am replying to emails daily! I look forward to hearing from you.

The lack of updates doesn't mean I have forgotten you .... nor does it mean my quest is over. I am but human just like you dear readers and my life has been hectic lately. Being an expat has its difficult moments here. Moving, new jobs, etc.

I will continue to update this blog soon and I will answer emails daily as always!

Suerte con todo............
-VidaSalvadorena

Cost of Living Update

2010-08-07T19:47:00.000-07:00

Here is a quick cost of living update. These are prices of some basic things, they are as of this month. This is not complete, just an update.

Loaf of white bread: $1.10
Bacon (Standard pack.) : $2.60
Fast Food (KFC, Pizza Hut) : Same price as in the USA. Average meal: $4.00 - $5.00
Standard tank of purified water: $5.25 (Refill: $1.75) = Enough to last 3-4 weeks for two people.
Tank of Gas (for stove): $5.50 (lasts about 3-4 months for me and I cook ALOT with a huge oven)
Rent (in Lourdes, private community: $300 a month (3br/3br house with AC & Hot water)
Gas: $3.30 Gallon for Regular
Phone+Internet (1MB Cable)+Cable TV (150 Channels): $62 monthly (Tigo)
Electricity: $0.17 cents per Kilowatt. Under 300 Kilowatts a month = Reduced price by government program
Bus Fair: $0.20 - 0.40 cents. (Cross country "Direct" / "Special" up to $2.00)
Individual bag of water: 0.10 cents
Can of coke: 0.40 cents
Cell phone calls: 0.14 cents per minute to other cell phones. 0.10 per minute to USA (Incoming always free)
Silverware (Home stays brand, walmart): 0.50 cents each for knives, forks, spoons.
Pillows: Two for five dollars. Regular price 3 each.

That's all the new and weird stuff I have recently purchased. More great articles will come soon.

Map of Comalapa Int'l Airport, El Salvador

2010-07-27T16:51:00.000-07:00

If you are coming to El Salvador any day now and have a fear of airports or flying, this should ease your mind. Here is an illustration of how to exit the airport when you land. This map is not 100% accurate obviously but it's pretty close to perfect. These are more or less the exact steps you will take to exit the airport. I have included an overview of where your friends and family will be waiting outside, where the bathrooms are and where to find food (outside). This is the ONLY airport in El Salvador so you will be flying into this one.

Feel free to print, distribute and use this map freely but do not remove the link to my blog in the bottom right corner please.

Here is a link to the same image on Imageshack. Click the image to enlarge it to full size, it's rather large and complete.

Here are some actual photos of the airport. You should not be scared to arrive, the airport is very small and it's impossible to miss your loved ones waiting once you get out of the door. These pictures were not taken by me... they are from other bloggers. Credits in the bottom corner of the photos.

To the right are the doors you will walk out of after passing

immigration and customs. The people are located where

your family and friends will be waiting. Easy to see them and find them.

Not all doors are used, only the middle two.

View of the waiting area from the taxi/bus/rental car parking lot.

Look on my map above all the way to the right, that parking lot

is where this picture is taking from, looking in on the waiting area.

In my map above... look at the bottom where it says Arrivals/Departure

waiting are and "road". The road is what you see here and arrival/departure

area where cars drop off and pick up people. Do not try and get a taxi here

it's easier on the side parking lot (see map).

(See Above)

Police, Checkpoints, Driving, DUI's & Everything Else

2010-07-23T13:24:00.000-07:00

So you are probably wondering what happens if you get stopped by a cop here in El Salvador? Do they clock your speed with radar guns? Do you have the right to a fair trial? What about DUI's?

After plenty of time here I have finally experienced enough of the police (not in a bad way) to properly inform you all of exactly how it works at this time.

Police will not randomly ask you for your passport. I have seen this on so many web pages, where they mention police or military will ask you for your passport if your a foreigner. It's simply not true. The locals say it was never that way, I don't know how it was prior to two years ago but it is simply not true anymore if it ever was.

I have walked past hundreds if not thousands of police and military officials, I've entered the airport plenty of times (Not departure section, but to let people off inside of the airport and the food court), I've gone into immigration offices and I have even been in a police station. I have never been asked for my passport or proof of residency here. Not a single time. I have also never been stopped by the police when driving.

The police do not typically pull cars over when they are in their vehicles. I have only seen one car stopped by a moving police car and that was after he hit another parked car, seriously. You have to do something insane to get a police car to pull you over.

The way that police typically stop you is with checkpoints. They set up a series of cones in the highway, road, wherever. You have to come to an almost complete stop to pass through them. If they see you were speeding or doing anything questionable, you will be flagged to the side.

They also randomly stop cars. They do not need probable cause. This is not Europe or the USA. They randomly select one car out of every so many to audit. I was in a car with a friend three days ago when this happened. The cop will simply flag you to the side, it does not mean you have done anything wrong. You will be asked for your license. In the case of a foreigner you will present passport and license. They simply take a look at it, walk to the back of the car and act like they are inspecting the license. Afterwards they return it to you and let you move on.

If the police find anything wrong, you simply pay a fine. They accept payment for the ticket usually (or to not write a ticket), either way... pay on the spot. You do not have the right to a fair trial. You are not going to see a judge and get out of the ticket. Foreigners and nationals alike: you are charged with speeding violations if the police say you are. I highly recommend not challenging it.

The police do not use radar guns. I have only seen two radar guns in years of being in El Salvador. I have seen thousands of checkpoints. I see road checkpoints almost everyday when I am driving. Some days there are more than others. It's not big deal as long as your not doing anything wrong. Police will "visually" clock your speed. Yes, it is legal. If they think you are going to fast than you are.

Speed is measured in Kilometers per hour here, not miles per hour. Many areas have signs which say "Max Kilometer per hour" much like a speed limit sign. Read into these very casually. As a general rule of thumb the police will not stop you unless your exceeding 100 km per hour. That is close to the equivalent of 60 mph. People fly past that but you can always stick around 100 km per hour to be safe. Drive to your right lane on the highways if you are not comfortable speeding up past that. Should you choose to drive slower in the heavy transit lane you WILL be run off the road. People are very aggressive drivers and they want to get to their destination.

Police will not write you a ticket for no lights, missing turn signals, missing hoods, missing windows, etc. You may get asked about it but you will not get a ticket. Likely you wouldn't even be flagged at a checkpoint for it and you would never be pulled over by a police vehicle for it.

Driving with alcohol is different here as well. Passengers in the car can drink all they want. They can be wasted. Front and back. The only person who can not be drinking is the driver. You can drink before you drive but there is a LIMIT. The limit here, well who knows. Basically it is if the cop feels your over it. I want to make it very clear that DUI is not relaxed here. Cops will almost always think your over the limit. If you have had more than two beers, do not drive here. It doesn't matter who you are, if the cops catch you drinking and driving you will be taken to jail. Minimum is fifteen days at this time, you go straight to jail, do not pass go and do not collect $200.

Jails in El Salvador are not fun. They do not care about your personal rights. You will be treated like a criminal and it will not be fun. YOUR EMBASSY will not help you. The American Embassy does not assist if you are in criminal situations. Already have checked into that for a friend, they will not get involved.

Police generally will not ask for a car registration when they stop you. Registration comes in the form of a tiny card that looks like a license. It is purchased once a year for $28.00. Value can be a little higher if you have a truck or other type of vehicle. Insurance is not required and very few have it therefore you will not be asked for that either. Usually just a license.

Police travel in four forms. First is in modified pickup trucks. The second form is in small police cars. The third form is on mopeds and motorcycles. Finally police travel on foot. Most commonly they are in police pickups. Every now and then you will see a police car. Tons of police are on foot and there are plenty of police motorcycles. Police motorcycles are much more likely to stop a moving vehicle (although still rare).

In some zones you may find "Tourist Police", they will be on bicycle sometimes. They are just there to make sure that tourist zones are protected. The national police are the "PNC". Do not confused security guards with police. They are uniformed, often have fun belts and carry weapons. They are privately hired by businesses to protect the business. The police are in darker uniforms with caps. Police here are generally friendly unless you give them a reason not to be. They are especially friendly to tourists however that doesn't mean the law won't apply to you.

For emergencies in El Salvador, dial 911. Make sure you identify a street name or a landmark since they won't automatically know your location here.

Visit the web page of the PNC (Policía Nacional Civil) here.

(Police Pickup - Most common)

(Police Car - Less common)

(Police Checkpoint - Newer Pickup (rare))

Coping With Home Sickness (Even When Your in Denial)

2010-07-17T19:27:00.000-07:00

Living in another country can take a toll on you. You might not know it, you might not want to accept it. You might be king of the world, on top of your glass castle. I know I was. You will stay strong, accept each and every challenge and never look back. At least... that is the idea.

In reality there will come a time, a day when it will hit you. I have a good while of living in El Salvador. I have been through most of the major hurtles here. I was just enjoying everyday life.

Until I purchased bacon at the local supermarket. It all hit me with the bacon. Funny, right? I have been here a while and never noticed bacon was for sale in the supermarket. I just assumed bacon was one of the things I'd have to live without. There are so many things you will need to let go of... you start to just assume. Don't.

I happened to see bacon when I was shopping and picked it up. It was $2.69 for a standard sized package. Very nice cuts, not too much fat. I purchased it and went home only to make a BLT. Minus the tomato.

This story might seem like it has little significance however it does, I promise. The day will come when you understand.

I sat at the table and the second I took a bite of that BLT, bacon ... which I haven't eaten in over a year... it all came back to me. I remembered sitting in the Waffle house back in my old town in the USA.... looking at the cars pass by. I remembered the easy life and how simple it was to get things done, to make money, to live. It all came back to me with that bacon. So again.... funny? No.

I don't regret my decision to live here. I don't need to leave. I won't leave. I am in denial that I miss the USA. Because I do miss the USA. It doesn't matter who you are, what problems you leave behind or why you are coming here. There will be a day when you miss the USA.

There is one way to deal with it. Accept it. Just take a moment to accept it. Accept that your life is no longer there. Accept that you won't be able to live the life you had, open you doors and embrace what you do have.

Your here in El Salvador for a reason. If your not, you will be soon as you read this.

Always remember to embrace what you have and not what you had. Moving forward is best done by accepting your situation, not forgetting your past. Denial only lasts so long. It does not make you weak to miss somewhere you spent so much of your life, rather that be the USA or another country.

El Salvador: From a Tourist's Viewpoint

2010-07-09T11:51:00.000-07:00

As one of my great reader's reminded me, sometimes it can be beneficial to look at things from a Tourist standpoint. My sister just recently visited El Salvador for the first time. In fact, it's the first time she ever left the USA. I seem to look the other way on a lot of things there, mainly because I have a decent amount of time living here. She however does not and she noticed many things which she liked, disliked and just thought were downright strange.

This should be both interesting for tourists and can maybe shed some insight for expats? Either way it's a cool piece. I was going to do a second-hand piece but instead have decided to ask her to write a first hand account and I will post it here word for word, un-edited. It should be appearing in the next few days.

Entry Point Update

2010-07-07T13:52:00.000-07:00

My sister just recently visited last week and she provided me some information on the entry into El Salvador and the general process in the airport. I have information posted on this however it has been a little while since I entered El Salvador. Here is some quick updates (she provided these first hand, she is a young female whom speaks no Spanish). These are not direct quotes, I half quoted what she said and half re-arranged it to make it legible for readers (hence the lack of " " ).

Q. Is it hard to exit the airport?
A. No just follow the yellow-signs to immigration and your practically out. It's very small (the airport).

Q. What did immigration ask you?
A. Nothing. They asked me if I spoke Spanish, I said no. He asked for my passport in broken English and then told me I had to pay $10. I handed him the $10 and walked away.

Q. How much time did they give you?
A. I don't know. (Responded my sister). I opened her passport to find her tourist card was stamped for 90 days as I find is standard. Apparently it ranges from 30 - 90 days but they always give you 90 days if you ask and if you don't speak Spanish = automatic 90 days.

Q. Was it hard to find your luggage?
A. No. Right after you pass immigration you are practically directed to the luggage belts. There are only five or six and they are right there in plain site.

Q. Was it scary exiting the airport?
A. Yes since I have never flown before. You walk out the two doors and there are tons of people waiting for their family members. It wasn't as bad as I thought though and it was fairly easy to find family members.

Q. What do the tourist cards (passport stickers) look like?
A. (See below)

Top: New Card (2010)

Bottom: Old Card (2009)

Notes: Notice the number of days written in pen

just below the sticker ("90").

14 Killed in Bus Burning - News Report

2010-06-22T12:45:00.000-07:00

Hello readers,

I know I usually don't report the news, but this is worth reporting.

The past weekend members of the street gang 18 in El Salvador opened fire on a microbus. They then set the bus on fire, killing 13 people inside. Injuring at least 16 more. Police were able to break the glass and free around 13 passengers however they not able to rescue everyone. A few hours later the same gang opened fire on another bus just down the road in the same neighborhood of San Salvador, El Salvador.

The neighborhood "Mejicanos" is particularly well known for gang violence. Both of these incidents occured during the night hours. This is not the first time this year that a bus was burned, in fact over 50 buses have burned in total however the death toll is 2 for those 50 buses. This attack however was more more violent. President Mauricio Funes reffered to this as an "Act of Terror".

In the last year and a half over 217 drivers and passangers of buses have been killed in suspected gang activity.

-------

Q. What does this mean for visitors of El Salvador?
A. It means you should be careful when your hear. Avoid using the bus system. Call a Taxi or rent a car to be safe. It would be advisable to avoid the neighborhood of "Mejicanos" in San Salvador.

Q. El Salvador is dangerous, isn't it?
A. While El Salvador is known as a dangerous country, that is a matter of opinion. These people were in-fact innocent. It's a sad reality that the bus system is unsafe here and the majority of gang related attacks are on the bus systems. There is no extensive danger to visit here as long as you avoid illegal activities and the bus system.

Q. Why do they attack the buses?
A. The gangs here put something called "rent" on the businesses in certain areas. They demand the owners pay high amounts of money to prevent from being attacked. Typically the owners will not comply and they will kill the bus drivers, passengers and destroy the bus to send a message to the owner.

Q. Do the gangs really make money that way?
A. An estimated $18 million dollars in 2009 came from gang activities including "rent" on businesses.

Q. What do you think about all this VidaSalvadorena?
A. I personally think it's terrible. I've lived here a while and fortunantly have no come across any gang activity. I have personally rode buses in the city, although never passing through the "Mejicanos" area. I live about 40KM from San Salvador and have never seen any gang violence. It is mostly limited to the city, which unfortunently is where most tourists go. To be honest I do not feel it is particularly unsafe here. I recommend avoiding opening a business here, avoid using buses in the capital (San Salvador) and try to avoid driving through "Mejicanos". Making the decision to pass through "Mejicanos" is similar to passing through "Compton" in the USA. It's a known, dangerous gang area... that being said, I still think it's terrible. The majority of the people who use the buses live in the area of "Mejicanos" and are very poor, they have no other choice.

Q. I don't think I want to visit El Salvador anymore, smart, right?
A. No. Don't let fear stop you. That's exactly what people like the gangs want. To control people with fear. Very very few attacks, if any are against tourists in this country. The majority are gang to gang activity and in tragic cases bus attacks. There are little to no cases of taxi's or car's being attack (a few on the Pan American Highway.... but few fatalities). Essentially, it's really not that dangerous overall, none the less, don't let your guard down.

Recognition

2010-06-20T20:12:00.000-07:00

More great posts on the school system, food choices, cost of living and sites in the country are on the way. For the mean-time, I just want to take a moment to thank a very special reader: George F. of California

He did not request any recognition. However, he has made a wonderful difference for this blog. He has provided great amounts of information, opinions and valuable ideas. In addition he has provided a wonderful donation which goes a long way. I would just like to personally say thank you to George.

People like George make this blog possible and continue to motivate me to provide information and helpful tips about El Salvador. So thank you, Thanks George for everything.

Cost of Living Update: June

2010-06-17T12:22:00.000-07:00

I just figured I would update the cost of living for this month so everyone can get an idea of what it might take to live here.

Rent: $0 (Own Home)
Car Insurance: $0 (Not Required)
Food: $175 (For two, not eating much typical food still, mostly all super market)
Electricity: $75 (LCD TV, Window A/C 12 hrs a day, PC w/ modem/router, Lights, Refrigerator)
Furniture: $252 (4k+ financed, sofa + stove + entertainment center + kitchen counters. 18 months)
Mini-Split AC: $89 (Just purchased, 18k BTU, $600 full price. $98 down plus $89 monthly for 5 months)
Internet $375 (I have special business, household plans unlimited from 29.99)

At this moment, the following is average cost with electricity, internet, food and no rent included.

1 person $200-250
2 person(s) $275-300
3 person(s) $375-400

If you choose to eat local food and live without an AC, it's realistic to live off $100 monthly. You won't live the USA life though, but then again... this is La Vida Salvadorena, right? ;)

+This information applies to this date and time. Cost of Living (CoL) changes frequently here.+

Peace Corps in El Salvador

2010-06-17T12:14:00.000-07:00

*This article contains a high content of opinionated material as well as factual material. Be aware that this is simply opinion for the most part.*

I recently ran across a group of Peace corps voulenteers. They were working hard, partying at a local bar. Again. I know it sounds amusing, but it's true. In fact, I spoke with an ex-peace corps voulenteer a few days ago and he informed me that "Peacecorps is a joke", "The majority of the work is just for photographs, it's more of a way to get an easy vacation pass" and that "The majority of the voulenteers could care less about helping".

I would say that was his opinion, if several others didn't tell me the same thing. I do see where they have done some decent work here in El Salvador but I also see them playing around more than helping.

I decided to give it a shot myself and out of the blue visited their website. I went to apply. They won't accept me because I didn't have a four year college degree. They say it's not required, yet they wouldn't accept me. I am not bitter on it, but what a dumb move. I am a young, able to volunteer, have a caring passion for El Salvador and I speak fluent Spanish and English. I already live in El Salvador, have my own car and accommodations. If that wasn't enough, I have extensive knowledge of the country, can navigate without maps, translate, locate services and materials and do just about anything necessary here.

Yet some bloke with a four year degree who can't speak a word of Spanish and has never left the USA is better prepared to come and assist in El Salvador? Really? I am pretty sure I can accomplish a lot more, all without a four year degree.

Seems like Peace corps may be an easy vacation ticket for an four year degree graduates who want to feel like they are helping. I don't think I would be a good volunteer because I would feel terrible drinking and partying at a bar all day when I should be volunteering.

So what, it's tough to live here. I do it, and I'm still willing to volunteer. But you won't accept me? Good move Peace corps, glad to see you choose the "most qualified".

On a side note, the PC does do some great work. Unfortunantly.... not so much here. There are plenty of private organizations that are glad to have volunteers and don't pick and choose. They work much harder and the results are proven.

Please refrain from angry emails, I am not going to change my opinion based on yours, I can't change the interviewed volunteers opinions and ... honestly, I warned you all this was opinion.

Cooling your Home in El Salvador

2010-06-08T21:51:00.000-07:00

For anybody currently living in El Salvador or planning to move to El Salvador, this is an important topic. One of the negatives to living in El Salvador is the heat. Its hot. Often around 98-100 degrees with a humidity level of 100%.

Being outside in the weather isn't half bad, it makes great for the beaches or yard work. Unfortunently sitting inside on the sofa or trying to sleep at night is quite unpleasant in the heat. In some states in the USA it does reach said temperatures however Central air conditioning is quite common.

In El Salvador cooling systems are not nearly as common. My first advice would be to get rid of the idea of a Central AC unit. The cost of electricity is way too high, there are very few companies to install them and they will charge plenty to do an installation. The actual cost of the units are considerably higher as well.

The best option is either a window unit or a Mini-split. A window unit can be used for a single room and a decent 8,000 BTU unit will comfortably cool a bedroom. I currently run a Haier 8,000 BTU window unit which utilizes 810 Watts of electricity an hour.

At the current rate of 0.17 cents a KW with Delsur in El Salvador, using the window unit 12 hours a day would cost roughly: $1.65 x 30 days = 49.50. Not half bad.

If you are more interested in a Mini-Split that is probably the best option. I recently upgraded to a 24,000 BTU Mini-split from Haier. The unit comfortably cools my kitchen, living room, bathroom, entry and bedroom. The Mini-Split resembles a central AC but does not use nearly as much electricity.

The 24,000 BTU unit uses 1.7KW of Electricity an hour. At the current energy rate and 12 hours usage daily that is roughly $3.4 daily x 30 = $102 monthly.

The cost is not half bad compared to what a Central AC unit would cost. A Central AC unit on average uses between 4-5 KW an hour. At the current electricity costs using a Central AC unit just 12 hours a day at 4.5KW electricity would cost about $9.18 daily x 30 = $275.40.

The savings by a Mini-Split should become quite apparent. In fact, having a Central AC unit here is very unpractical and very few do. The cost is just too high.

If you have never heard of a Mini-Split, they are much like a Central AC. The plus is that there are no vents to install. A Single blower unit is installed inside and connects to an outdoor compressor unit. An average 24,000 BTU unit currently costs $650 pre-charged with Freon. They can be purchased from OmniSport and many other dealers. Omnisport offers a finance plan and installation is an additional $70. You will also need to have the electrican connect the unit. The cost for us was about $15 for the electrician.

Here is more information and photos of the Haier Mini-Split units:
http://us-china-international.com/eng/airconditioner/haier/haierr410a.htm

Here is a calculator to determine which one you would need to cool your space depending on the size in SQ FT:
http://www.home-air-care.com/acsize.htm

Here is the current electricity cost per KWH via DelSur:
http://www.delsur.com.sv/pages.php?Id=44

Remember to keep it cool. :-8

My Story -- Per Request

2010-06-08T13:06:00.000-07:00

If you are not interested in hearing how I ended up living in Central America (El Salvador), just skip this post, the rest of the blog will resume to be about El Salvador and the journey. This post will be about how and why I am here, what my plans for the future are...

It Begins...

I met my other half on a warm summer day at an Amusement Park, the least likely of places. I had no real attraction to Latin American individuals prior. I was not exactly racist either, neutral. I have to admit, I do like new cultures though. We met, went out on a few dates, you know the story. We fell for each other. Our friends never though it would last since we were young (23-24) and to everyones surprise it did.

We were not married at the time. We simply were not ready. Unfortunately my significant others visa expired. She neglected to tell me, I can't blame her. It probably would of cost us the relationship. Long Distance Relationships tear families apart, they don't work well. We went out as if nothing had happened.

It was a Monday morning and she left for work, just like any other Monday morning. We were upset with each other so I didn't say good-bye. I went to work that same day, expecting to see her when I got home. At about two in the afternoon I get a text message from her. It read as follows...

"Te Amo." - I love you.

Followed directly by another....

"Me van a deportar" - They are going to deport me.

I had no idea if she was serious or not. I didn't know what to make of it. A few minutes later her family called me, very upset. Turns out she had been the passenger in a car which was pulled over for not slowing down at a yellow light. They check everybodies ID's on suspicion of who knows what and found she had a deportation order (for overstaying her Visa) and she was taken into custody.

I remember the terrible feeling I felt for two days. No idea what was happening. After two whole days she finally was given access to a phone from the County Jail. She called me, crying, because we were apart and she thought she was going to loose me. I was only 25 and had an entire life built. Purchased the car of my dreams (A Mustang), got a mortgage and a house, had an incredibly well paying job as a restaurant manager (a huge accomplishment with no more than a high school education), and now, now I was about to loose it all.

That call ended, I had never felt so horrible in my entire life. It still hurts all these years later to even write it. From that jail she was transferred to another regional jail in the middle of the night. She called. I went to visit her. Less than 24 hours after she got there, they moved her again, before I got there to visit, hours before. She was en-route to another regional jail more than eight hours from where I lived. She was placed in the regular jail, with criminals, full criminals. She said the conditions were horrible, the guards constantly racist and it cost two dollars a minute to talk to her. Go figure.

I visited her twice. I couldn't take talking to her through 3 inch thick glass. One night when I visited, she put her hand to the glass against mine. I felt like an idiot crying in front of everyone but seeing the person you love being treated that way is something I hope none of you readers ever have to go through.

By this point she was moved again to another jail several states away. Apparently she would of been deported at this point after two months except a contagious disease broke out in the jail where she was harbored. They quarantined everyone and took days to get medical staff. I was incredibly worried. Fortunately she did not get infected, but several did. Two died in custody on a level below her. I am sure the medical staff did all they could (*sarcasm*).

By this point I had long made the decision to drop everything, sell everything and blindly move. Yeah, it was a crazy decision. I don't regret it. I am not going to let immigration tear my life apart. Sure, they did, but why let them ruin it anymore than necessary. I sold my cars. I lost money on the house, took a huge hit... left the job I loved. Auctioned everything I could. Managed to get a final total of $4500 after paying all the debts, etc.

She was moved to yet another jail, this time an immigration jail over 13 hours from where I lived. The cost of calls was about 3.00 a minute at this jail plus connection fee of 1.25. It cost well over 30 dollars for a short conversation. I called the El Salvador consulate and he felt so horrible for our situation, because it was so much worse than most he pulled some strings. A week later I had her deportation date. July 27th. They were sending her on a commercial flight.

Only one commercial flight was leaving the airport closest to her July 27th. It was TACA at 10AM. I bought a flight on TACA leaving my airport at 10AM.

I landed in El Salvador with 2 suitcases, 4k hidden in my sock, a lot of fear and no knowledge of the place. I had never been to El Salvador. I read up on it. I speak fluent Spanish. I had learned it working in the restaurant, I am of Italian blood as well and speak Italian so that helped the process. My Spanish is fluent but by no means perfect. My wife (now -- wife) does not speak English well, so we communicate in Spanish.

When I landed, I walked outside the airport -- lost, confused, nervous and excited. That is life. I waited. Hours and she still didn't come. Finally at 5PM she walked out the doors. God, she looked bad. All white, no color, lord knows how many pounds lighter. Maybe 20-30. It was great. Of course, we still had no plan what-so-ever.

She has one sister here who picked us up and took us back to her house. We stayed, fought, and planned. It was horrible and great. Bitter-sweet. We finally sat and cried together, deciding the only choice was for me to go again. To go back to the USA and work. She was banned from the USA for 10 years automatically by the way. Immigration lawyers gave us no chance because the horrible anti-immigration laws and attitudes those days and these days alike.

I got on a plane. My wife and her sister said I never looked so sad in my entire life. Every step felt horrible, but I did it. I got back on that damn plane. I flew back to the USA. I lived in a cramped, crappy apartment. I drove to work everyday fifty minutes using a borrowed car from my sister. Thank god for family.

First job was at a factory. It was horrible, the work, the conditions. I ate one sandwich a day with one slice of ham and one slice of cheese. I sent every penny back to her that was left. Finally I got a break, at a Call Center. My CS skills landed me a temp position. It was perfect, six months. The pay was amazing. I got over-time, lots. For almost the entire time I left training til the day I left I worked 80 hours a week. 7AM - 9PM M-F and Saturdays. Two Sundays in that time as well. I worked, I worked. I volunteered to do Spanish as well for no extra pay. That made me valuable, helped me progress. They offered me FT but I declined.

The venture cost me both our birthdays together, I missed Christmas with her too. Valentines day passed. Feb 21st I got on a plane and went back to El Salvador. We used all that money I made to build a house. We now have a home. It is not what we had in the USA, but its a roof over our heads.

The day I got back I asked her to marry me. We are engaged and still not "married" but we are planning on it, all this time later. We don't want to rush it. The entire experience has made us inseparable. Since I found a job at a call center here. The pay is moderate but low. I also work part-time as a freelance writer.

All of her family and mine are in the USA. We talk now and then. We all miss each other terribly. My little sister is growing up, my other sister graduated nursing school. I missed it. I missed it all. Every day I miss something that I should be there to see. My parents grow older, I worry. I worry so much, but I can't be there with them all the time.

We live decent here, but with the usual feel. The slightest bump in the night worries us. Who knows when we will get robbed, we live in the country area, it happens. Sometimes we can't find basic things we need but for the most part we are comfortable. We are together.

I have learned a lot about the culture. I am not shocked by it anymore. I was at first. The poverty level is high. I still enjoy seeing how people are just happy to be together and alive. I think its something that is lost in Northern life.

I enjoy the little things. I still do not like the food here, for the most part. I hang on to my old clothes from the USA. I guess its a subtle reminder, although they are ripped apart. We finally got an air-conditioner, I did adjust to the heat.

People look at me funny sometimes, they find it hard to believe an American is LIVING here and not just vacationing. They are friendly though. I have never felt out of place here. Everyone is friendly and accepting.

My biggest gripe is that there is no good Chinese food here. I miss sweet and sour chicken. I miss my family. I miss my dog and all the places we visited. I miss our life, but I have began to accept this is our life now. She feels the same.

We both feel a little lost, but we take it day by day and we are surviving. I just wish that everybody who fights so passionately to deport immigrants would realize they are tearing AMERICAN families apart. The whole cause of immigration is to protect the American life style, right? So what happened to no man left behind. What happened to all the American families who are hurt and torn apart, like mine? I know my family is suffering without me. My life isn't what it should be here either.

I don't think I have anymore right to an American life than my wife does. I am here in El Salvador to stay. My country has abandoned me and my wife because of my choice to marry her? Because she isn't American we can't be in love and be together in the USA? We weren't going to rush our marriage just for immigration. We aren't going to be un-true to who we are.

It wasn't our choice to leave. We had too though. The worst part of it all, after all I have been through, the people here treat me better than actual fellow Americans do. I get rude looks from people at the embassy every time I go, because I made the choice to "abandon" my country, as one southerner told me. Image that, I made the choice.

I think my Wife and I would agree, this was hardly a choice.

That is why this blog started. For all those who will go through this terrible situation as well. I am here to help.

For those readers who are married to nationals of El Salvador and living in the USA and here... plenty of respect to you. We are family on some level. We all are. Making the choice to stick with our wife's and husbands from El Salvador regardless of the situation.

-VidaSalvadorena

P.S. Yes, this story was dramatized. It still doesn't begin to depict what we went through. I don't care to be the victim or ask for pity, this is our life now. Words can't describe what we truly experienced. Hopefully they can help you along your way though, maybe help you avoid this.

GPS, Rental Cars & El Salvador

2010-05-31T21:03:00.000-07:00

I recently decided to take a road-trip since my sister visited. I have been here in good old El Salvador a while and still have not really looked into GPS. I have no need for a car normally, so I don't own one. Logically, I decided to rent one. I figured I would share my experience.

GPS

By default no device supports El Salvador. There are VERY FEW maps for GPS for El Salvador and non are free or publically available. Currently if you just want to purchase one, there is a company that makes them for El Salvador called Q-Find, http://www.elsalvadorgps.com/.

Q-Find works very well. It has many streets inside and outside the city. The only issue I have found to date is that it doesn't mark one way streets, but my GPS in the USA never did that correctly anyway. Other than that, it works great. Even has most streets where I live out in the country. Although the streets don't have names out here, it still lists them. The POI database is very complete. The price is insane at $400. I think it's "highway robbery" but... if you want a GPS, go for it.

Also, if you already own a GPS you can purchase just the El Salvador map and load it on at http://www.gpstravelmaps.com/el_salvador.php.

The cost is 35 dollars and it works very well. I found it is missing some street data but for the most part it works very well. I use it on my garmin and my laptop. Well worth $35. Much better than $400.

Rental Cars

Can be rented in both San Salvador and at the Airport. The major companies here are Hertz, Alamo, Budget and Avis. Prices vary and for the most part are around 13.00 a day without tax, etc.

I was able to rent a 4 door basic sedan with air-conditioner at the airport using just my passport (USA) from Hertz. The total cost for 7 days including taxes, surcharges, etc was $140. Unlimited mileage.

They offer optional protection for theft for around 17 a day which is more than the cost of the car. Two major services offered GPS at 14.00 a day.

If you find somebody with a El Salvador License, its about 15 dollars cheaper overall, don't ask me why.

They have everything from sedans and compacts up through pickups, vans and microbuses available for rent. They can be viewed online and reservations can be made online as well.

www.alamo.com/

www.budget.com/

https://www.hertz.com/rentacar/fts/enUS/airportLocationListTab.jsp?type=PU

"Comida Tipica" - Common Food.

2010-05-12T18:35:00.000-07:00

All prices reflect the time of this post being created, May of 2010. Prices will not be updated.

I'd like to start off this post by stating that I am a very "picky" eater, I do not like unclean food preparation and I am very uptight about food quality. To truly enjoy food in El Salvador I did have to let some of that go, but it was for the better. "What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger."

El Salvador has a lot of commonly found food (Comida Tipica). Firstly there are two main types, what I would call "fair" food and everyday food. Both can be found sold on the side of the road and in restaurants mostly everyday, however "fair" food originated from Fairs, Celebrations, etc.

Leisure Food/Fair Food:

Papas Fritas (Papitas) - Delicious home made french fries. Better than fast food fries, often friend in vegetable oil. Server in a small dish with ketchup, mayonaise and grated cheese on top. Truly delicious. Average price is about $0.70 cents a service. Prices can range as high as $1.50 at the beach or during holidays. Can be found during all major events anywhere. Normally can be found for sale in towns, at the beach and in the smaller colonias on the side of the road.

Churros - These are great fried pastries. Typically only found during festivales, special events and holidays; they are for sale on the side of the road. Carts are usually labled "Churros". They are delicious; not much like the Mexican version, better. They are a fried batter with the cinnamon (canela) in the batter, sugar sprinkled on top. Typically a service is decently sized for about $1.00, prices can be as high as $1.75.

Semillas/Dulces - Many different sweets are often for sale all year round. The vendedoras (sellers) will come up to you and ask. Most are several for a dollar. They are usually hand made and delicious. Semillas are from a plant here, they are very hard to prepare (not difficult but time consuming), a bag is around $1.00 typically. They are delicious.

Regular Food:

Pupusa - The national food of El Salvador. The Pride and Joy. Similiar to a pita bread in shape, size and texture. Pupusa is made from corn flour (hariena de maiz) and filled with various things. There are plain cheese, revuelto, pollo, frijoles, etc. In other words they can be filled with just about any meat, cheese or bean mixture you would like. They are also occasionally made from rice rather than corn flour. They are typically served with a side of cabbage and carrots (shredded) and a liquidy tomato sauce (optional). They are finger good, so don't bother with the fork and knife -you'll get strange looks.- Prices vary greatly and usually can be between $0.30 - $0.50 cents each. Cheaper can be found.

Tortillas - Similar in shape and size to Pita bread, they are round and made out of flour from corn (hariena de maiz). They can be consumed on their own or with just about anything. They are one of the most common foods in El Salvador. Typically for $0.05 cents each, some may be as high as $0.10 cents each. In some instances they can be made from flour (regular - wheat) or rice flour. Sold everywhere, all year round.

Enchiladas - Typical. These are like tortillas but much thinner, made from corn flour. Fried in oil and then topped with cabbage/carrots (shredded), hard boiled eggs (cut into small pieces) and shredded cheese. They are quite delicious and fairly cheap. A plater of 3 can typically be purchased between $0.60 - $1.00. Some places sell them much cheaper.

Soup - Typical food in many regions is soup. Home made soup. While some areas don't eat soup much, where I am located its quite common. It is usually made with huge chunks of carrots, corn, chicken and other meat. Prices vary greatly and can range from $1.50 to $3.00 or more.

Food that isn't as typically eaten here:

Hamburgers - Not like in the USA. Only bought out at fast food, etc. Not common daily and not common at regular restaurants.

Hot Dogs - Semi common, hot dog carts are found in most towns and outside of major stores. Prices vary but a loaded hot dog (Salchicha but mostly just called "hot dog" pronounced with the silent "h" ) for around $1.00.

Subs - There are 2 major sub shops. One a US franchise - Subway. Prices are high, not found normally elsewhere. Hot subs, Mexican style (Tortas Mexicanas) can be found on sub carts in most towns. Prices average about $3.00 and the meat used is usually salami, chicken or regular beef.

Other food facts:

Most fast food is very common. All major chains from the USA and several others. Pizza is fairly readily available, taste varies. Chinese food can almost be found throughout the country; albeit not as common as in the USA. Other food styles such as Thai, Greek, Vietnamese are far less common and practically do not exist.

Prices of food are from typical food vendors on the side of the road. Comedors are also about the same price. Nicer establishments may have higher prices which is typical.

Residency & Citizenship in El Salvador

2010-05-02T13:59:00.000-07:00

Hello Readers,

I know I have posted bits and pieces on residency in El Salvador but I have gotten a few emails on the subject so here is a quick and updated post about the legality of living here.

If you are an American Citizen there are several options for getting residency and work permission in El Salvador.

First and foremost when you enter you will purchase a tourist card which is good for 90 days. This allows you to visit El Salvador and the other C4-A countries for 90 days. You can ask for a one time extension of this card without leaving El Salvador. In addition if you just leave to another neighboring country for 72 hours and come back you get a new tourist card. You can do this as many times as you want and if you don't mind taking a weekend outside of El Salvador every 3 months you could probably live like this for years. It's really no hassle and very cheap to drive or bus to another country.

If you want to get residency you have three options.

1. Rentista - This option eliminates your ability to work in El Salvador. It basically gets you residency and after 5 years citizenship but you must provide simple documentation you have proof of income. This could be social security check from the US, a work at home job or your own business. It requires little more than a bank statement showing a few months of activity of proof. It takes a few months to get the paperwork. You can get a license in El Salvador, perform just about any task and live comfortable as a Rentista. You will not be able to work in this country.

2. Permiso de Trabajo - This is also an option. It is simply a residency option that allows you to work during the time you have it. First 2 years it has to renewed every year and after that every 3 years, you can ask for citizenship after 5 total years. The process is quite easy but best left to a lawyer, the Gold Firm in San Salvador can take care of the entire process for about 300 dollars. It takes a few months and you can be granted Constancia to live in El Salvador while the paperwork is being taken care of. You will need a local police report from your state in the USA, in VA this was done via form on the website and a 15 dollar fee all through the mail. You will also need your birth certificate which will have to be apostilled. This can be done in the state of issue for around 20 dollars.

3. Marriage - If you marry someone from El Salvador with basically no questions asked you will be legal in under a year and have citizenship. Lots of paperwork and a bit of a headache but it works.

Remember, El Salvador isn't strict on Americans visiting. The chances of getting deported are low unless you are a terrorist and commit an insane act. Nobody will bother you here. It is still important to respect immigration laws and ask for legal permission to be present just as any citizen of El Salvador would have to do if they want to visit or live in the United States. The process might not be the easiest but it can be completed as long as you have time and patience, you will get residency. The Gold Firm in San Salvador did a great job and handled mostly everything for me. I hate to spend 300 dollars but it was just easier than deal with all the stress.

I just want to make some updates based on information received from a wonderful reader George.

1. Border Crossing are a hassle. The process is incredibly slow and requires patience. Cars with American Plates often under-go a hassle. Crossing in and out of Costa Rica can be especially slow. Many countries are very unaware of the rules regarding C4-A. A boarder crossing guard has refused a reader entry for attempting to enter "El Salvador" more than three times in one year. This could seriously dampen the leave every three months plan.

2. C4-A countries and tourist cards. Leaving a C4-A country and going to another will not get you a new tourist card. You have to leave the C4-A countries completely. The following are C4-A Countries, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua.

3. Problems for Salvadorenos? This is not the first report of problems for Salvadorenos "returning home" traveling through C4-A borders. It seems they constantly suspect they are up to "no good" if they are back in the region. This can present an inconvenience for El Salvador nationals who have spent time away.

Job Opening - San Salvador

2010-04-09T17:02:00.000-07:00

Today I was driving down the comalapa autopista when I saw a huge banner, in English, which read "We are Hiring".

It belongs to Stream Global Services a call center which purchased the former Dell Call Center. It is a beautiful building in the heart of El Salvador.

Anybody looking for work that speaks english might consider the call center, the pay is good, its a great environment. Native english speaks / extranjeros living here in El Salvador should give it a look. Apply online or in person.

https://stream.taleo.net/careersection/careersection/extspelsal/jobsearch.ftl?lang=en&radiusType=K&radius=1&location=5040452505

Electricity via DelSur

2010-04-03T21:11:00.000-07:00

I would just like to inform everyone of the process for getting electricity connected in El Salvador. If your house is new construction you will need to pay to have the actual posts installed that bring the lights. Where I live is a private colonial among family which means there were no public lines installed. Its not far from the road but none the less no line was here. Luckily we got permission from others in the area to run it off one of their light posts so I only ended up having to pay $100 for the inspection + 70.00 to DelSur to get new service connected. If you need to install posts you will have to do that yourself and the entire process can cost about 250-300 dollars. Plus inspection and startup fee with DelSur. It seems to be around 70.00 always, there is no credit for them to base it off here so that seems to be a flat fee. Anyway, if you are buying land in a Lotification Project (by Lotiversa, etc) you already have rights to the light posts so you wont have to worry. The same is true if you are renting/buying a pre-owned house or in the city, chances are electrical connection is already available so you wont need to pay that inspection fee, etc. So you'd be looking at about 70 to get started.

DelSur is the electric company in El Salvador. As far as I am aware they are the only electric company here in the entire country (correct me if I am wrong).

The electricity here is generally reliable. In my entire time here its gone down 2 times. The first time it went out for an hour, apparently a car took out a light pole. The second time it went out for 7 minutes. That time it was something to with DelSur & the government. All in all, I had my lights go out a lot more in the USA. Either way, it's not 100% reliable but I have experienced little problem.

According to DelSur the rates depend on your usage range. Under 25KW is low residential. 25-50KW is medium and 50+ is heavy usage. The prices vary very slightly and according to their webpage the current rate for the first 2 is about 0.13 cents a KW. For 50+ its around 0.15 cents a KW. In other words, its expensive. In the USA the average price is around 0.09 to 0.10 cents a KW.

Most houses here don't have Central Air and there is never a need for heat though so it all works out. My electric bill currently is decent. I used 203 Kilowatts.

That includes:

(1) 8,000BTU AC (810 Watts an Hour) which I run 10 hours a day.
(1) 42 inch LCD TV which is on always.
(1) Computer w/ 19inch LCD which is always on.
(1) Refrigerator

Several clocks, lights, fans, etc.

and my bill was $43.00

The actual usage was around 32.00 and the service fee, etc brought it up to 43.00. It doesnt match what the DelSur website says but either way, its not too bad.

Our neighbors have 3 lights connected and a small refrigerator and their light bill is 9.00 a month. So if you dont use an AC and TV all the time, its very reasonable.

Galerias de Escalon & Cinepolis

2010-03-21T08:38:00.000-07:00

Paseo General Escalon #3700 San Salvador, El Salvador, Centroamérica
http://www.galerias.com.sv/
www.cinepolis.com.sv/

I recent did a write up on MetroCentro and I figured since I was on the subject I might as well cover Galerias de Escalon and Cinepolis.

Located just off the Paseo Escalon which is a large route through San Salvador in Escalon. From the outside the general appearance is not that of a giant mall but it is. If you happen to feel uncomfortable in El Salvador, need a reminder of what city life is like, can't find that special piece of clothing or just want to spend a good weekend, I might recommend Galerias.

I usually take the standpoint El Salvador isn't a place for malls, you visit the country for beauty but with Galerias, I think its worth a serious visit.

Upon entering you will be directed through a well constructed 3 level underground parking system filled with guards blowing whistles to send you to where you need to go. I found this to be a very nice and effective setup. From the lower level you can already tell it is a place for the "middle-upper & upper class" Salvadorenos. My other half who is from El Salvador mentioned they felt slightly uncomfortable going to Galerias because they were not raised with money here and that is the respect its held to. If you are a foreigner you seem to instantly fit in. Unusual but none the less as an "Extranjero" I felt very at home at Escalon and my other half ended up feeling comfortable as well.

Once your inside you will see the truly beautiful design. The building is amazing, it features 3 levels with stores that make a circle around the outer edge of the structure. At one end you have "Simans" which is Sears. It is 3 levels. You will find everything Sears carries from Electronics, to clothes (same brands) right down to home decor. You will also find Sears pricing.

At the other end on the first 2 levels is the food court. On the very upper level you can find places such as Pizza Hut, Sbarro, iGO, China Wok, Papa Johns, McDonalds, Wendys, Etc. I was very surprised to find a Sbarro and more surprised to see they had all the same food and most of it tasted the same. The second level has some more cafes, fast, food and restaurants. Throughout the mall you can find small cafes, restaurants, cotton candy & popcorn. I was shocked to find a vendor selling real french crepes! (don't care for them but wow).

There is a great fish/aquarium store called "Aqua Fuana" which has turtles, rabits, hamsters and a ton of tropical and non tropical fish and fish tank supplies. They have some great pre-made fish tank kits with several fish for 50.00 and up.

World Games is also inside which is an arcade. They have some great machines including DDR, Confidential Mission, Time Crisis, etc. Instead of coins they use digital "cards" you swipe which you reload at the counter. Very cool and well taken care of arcade. I found the original Time Crisis non translated from Asia!

In the middle of the mall you see a "house" which is amazing, the top half is a store called "Portico" which reminds me Pier 1 (Thank god!) since there is no Pier 1 here. I finally found a bambu throw rug for 19 dollars. Any decoration based item you might need for the house you will find in Portico from Pillows/Cushions to throw rugs, table runners, oil/vinegar sets, wall art, general decor, etc.

For clothes there are a few big marks inside Escalon. There is a Nine West, Nautica and Adidas. All identical to the USA versions.

You can find a complete store list on the website.

On the very top level is Cinepolis which is a great movie theater. Great views of the city from the large glass windows. They have copiously scattered flat-screen tvs with previews and movie showtimes across the mall and inside the theater. It is very well taken care of a beautifully managed. There is a small cafe inside and the actual movie rooms are great. I went to see "Alicia en el pais de las maravillas" aka Alice in Wonderland. It was showing in 6 different rooms. 2 showings in 3D. One was in Spanish. One was in English with Spanish subs. The rest 2D with the same setup. Most movies play in both English and Spanish. If you don't speak one language, no worries you can still goto the movies! Price for a 3D show was 6.75. The actual theater was huge. Very modern very comfortable seats. Good temperature, huge screen, good sound. IMAX quality. In Full Disney 3D.

The entire mall was well managed with crews constantly cleaning and maintaining everything throughout the day, employees of stores well dressed and polite.

Below are some pictures.

MetroCentro (San Salvador) - [Update]

2010-03-16T08:53:00.000-07:00

This is the second article touching base on MetroCentro and I just want to say again, El Salvador is a country defined for the beauty of nature not for things like shopping malls but if you happen to be here and want to shop or need to locate something particular this article may help.

MetroCentro is located in San Salvador.

The last time I went to MetroCentro I noticed a few things I didn't before.

Hardware/Houseware - In the courtyard section of metrocentro there is a store which resembles a small version of homedepot. You can find bathroom sinks, lighting fixtures, bathroom mirrors, kitchen hoods, etc. They have just about everything including those modern bar lights. Good prices aswell.

Mascotas Ejecutivas - A pet store. Located at the far end (Atrium) on the bottom level. You can find rare dog breeds such as miniatures and huskies. Fish, fish tanks, turtles and supplies. Prices are very decent, they have a purebred pre-vaccinated (and well cared for) husky at $175.

Max - In the courtyard area, large electronics chain. You can find about anything best buy would have including ipods, tvs, video game consoles, etc.

(2) Food Courts - Papa Johns, Nash, China Wok, Wendys, Pizza Hut, Little Ceasers, Subway, Biggest, Pollo Campero, KFC.

Pap Johns, Little Ceasers and Pizza Hut taste identical to anywhere else. Prices are identical aswell. I assume they import the frozen dough as Pizza Hut does in the USA and then cook it to order.

Nash -- Chain which came from the Southern USA. Good food, they have pizza, burgers, fries, etc.

Wendys - Some different variations of USA menu aswell as original menu, all taste identical, same chicken, same bacon, etc. Delicious. Currently upping the sizes so for price of a med combo it comes as a large.

China Wok - Not my fav chinese fast food, more cantonese style but still very good. You can find bourbon chicken, etc.

Subway - A little different taste but same style you enjoy.

Biggest - Great restaurant from El Salvador (fast food). Hamburgers, small subs/sandwiches & delicious chicken!

Pollo Campero - Think KFC but better. The food is spectacular.

KFC - Identical to USA version.

There are also 4 cyber computer stores which have everything from headphone adapters to motherboards and hard drives.

On the second level of the Atrium you can find several stores with cool house items such as wooden ships, metal statues, etc. There is an entire store of steel / gold metal statues including some life sized. Very cool.

Near the entrance to MetroCentro from Super Selectos you will find a gameroom with some very good arcade games including Time Crisis, Air Hockey, etc.

There is another ample sized one near the entrance to the Cinemark (Movie Theater).

The Cinemark movie theater is very nice they play everything in Spanish and also a version with English and just spanish subtitles.

Prices are decent, Wed has discounts. Looks like a Cinemark in the USA, big, full of lights, great seating.

MetroCentro def. has whatever you might need so if you have any weird desires be sure to visit MetroCentro.

For weird products check out La Bomba, I found some great artificial plants, kids toys, bathroom stuff, cheap clothes and shoes (but good brands), etc.

Inside Metrocentro you can also find service centers and a sale center for: DeCameron (Resorts), Taca and Delta airlines.

Comments [Blog Related]

2010-03-11T06:35:00.000-08:00

Dear Readers,

Recently the blog has had a ton of comments and that is wonderful! This blog will shine based on all our opinions. This blog is based on a subject in which no one person could ever write alone, its a collective experience and I always welcome more commons on any subject rather they are in agreeance with what I have wrote or not, they will always be welcome.

As a result I have made the comment process easier. I have turned comment moderation off which means I will not have to approve comments before they post. I did add a CAPTCHA (Word Verification) though.

From this point forward the second you post a comment it will automatically and instantly appear on the blog post.

Enjoy and thanks!

FOVIAL

2010-03-09T06:51:00.000-08:00

FOVIAL is El Salvadors equivalent of your states department of transportation. In Virginia I know we had VDOT, and FOVIAL remind me of them in a lot of ways.
FOVIAL is the road repair agency.

Whenever there is a bridge out or a damaged road FOVIAL will be on it. Lately I have been seeing a lot of FOVIAL, even cleaning the sides of the road, cutting grass and repairing damaged bridges. I was ready to say they were on top of things but a great reader of this blog (George) brought it to my attention that there is a bridge out and FOVIAL has not showed. Here is a direct quote:

"There is a major bridge out on CA-2 from San Luis Talpa to Costa del Sol. There has been no work on it as yet. When the rains come it will be more of a mess than it is right now, with a detour made of dirt and gravel. We'll hope that they are going to get on that one soon. George. "

Goes FOVIAL still has some ways to go. Out in La Paz away from the major city I have seen quite a bit of FOVIAL but maybe they need to be fixing that major bridge instead of cutting grass. Hopefully with time it will get better but atleast they are out there.

Week of 22-FEB-2010 Grocery List & Prices

2010-02-24T10:17:00.000-08:00

Okay everyone, I have been getting a ton of questions about Food Shopping here. I would just like to say I live close to a small sized town/city and we have 3 super markets. The bigger areas have more so it is practically the same as in the USA. The stores most common here are La Despensa Familiar, La Despensa de Don Juan & Super Selectos. I will just note that the first two are now assets owned by Walmart. While they keep their own names, the signs and name tags in the stores all say Walmart. They are setup almost like Walmarts and they carry all the Walmart name brands and off brands (all great value stuff) imported from the US. So finding your favorite products shouldn't be too hard.

I like La Despensa de Don Juan the best but Despensa Familiar is smaller and prices are better. Super Selectos has good weekly deals to watch out for and have some products the others might not have. Inside La Despensa de Don Juan you will find the same typical setup. Registers at the front, meat counter, bakery counter, etc.

I typically buy the cheaper brands to avoid overpaying but anyway, every week I am going to post my grocery list and the price for each product just so everyone can get an idea and see what it is like here.

PLEASE KEEP IN MIND IN EL SALVADOR ALL PRICES INCLUDE IVA (TAXES) SO IF IT SAYS 1.00, THAT IS THE FINAL COST! TAX IS ALREADY FIGURED INTO THE PRICE ALWAYS.

Week of 22-FEB-2010

Product Descrption Size Price

Pollo Indio Boxed, Frozed Chkn Wng 15pcs 2.65

Pollo Indio Spicy Chkn Wngs 8pcs 1.73

Hot Dogs American Style Chkn/Beef 1.83

Swiss Cheese Packaged Sliced 15 slcs 2.99

Kellogs Cereal 3 pck frt loops, choc, crn flks 2.99

Chocolatina Carton Chocolate Milk 1/2 Gal 1.09

Virgina Ham Brand: FUD, Pkg Ham. 20 slcs 1.72

Pepto Bismol Reg size bottle 3.92

Bayer Asprin 500 mg 20 tablets 1.10

Tostadas Tortillas (Hard) 35 1.99

Boquitas Diana Assorted Chips Snack pk 10 0.74

Salsa Issima 3 cheese pasta sauce indv serving 0.34

Diana Popcorn Large bag 0.99

Sandwhich Bread White - Load 0.99

Melon Full Sized Fresh Melon 0.30

Coca Cola 2 pack of 2.5 litres 2.99

Instant Soup Pack of Ramen 0.29

Chao Mein Noodles, Large pckg 0.60

Viragrip Cold medicine like theraflu 2gel caps 0.50

Do not fly Delta to El Salvador.

2010-02-21T11:08:00.000-08:00

To anyone looking to come to El Salvador do not fly Delta. I just made the mistake again and am sorry to say it gets worse everytime. My ticket price was higher than TACA. Service is good on Delta but the price is bad, there are no direct flights from many airports so I had to make a change in Atlanta when flying from Washington DC which is crazy.

Also, my flight was delayed twice and cancelled once while every other airline was on time. The plane had problems. I couldnt get any answers about the baggage allowance. YOU ARE ALLOWED 2 BAGS CHECKED AND 1 CARRY ON FREE WITH DELTA TO EL SALVADOR. Ignore whatever new rules say, they are hard to read but the above is true for El Salvador as of Feb 2010 and forward. They have to be 50 lbs or less checked and 40 for carry on.

DO NOT FLY DELTA IF YOU HAVE A ONE WAY TICKET. They will check for ongoing travel. Immigration in El Salvador never does, TACA won't but DELTA does. So avoid Delta, fly TACA if you only want to buy a one way ticket. I ended up just printing a professional itenarary from TACA and it worked but barely. So avoid DELTA.

Internet in El Salvador (Detalles)

2010-02-02T17:26:00.000-08:00

So you need the internet in El Salvador?

No worries. Coverage is suprisingly good and service is much more reliable (mostly) than it is made out to be.

There are several major companies include Claro, Telecom, Movistar, Amnet (which is now Tigo/Telecom).

Those companies offer 3G in many regions such as San Salvador, San Miguel, La Libertad, etc. They also have WiMax available in the larger areas which offers amazing wireless highspeed. It is very reliable.

A decent 2MB/s wireless connection will cost you around $60.00 USD a month.

What if I want a wired connection?

A wired connection is available in many areas aswell. Wired connections do have some problems however. In some areas the cables get "robbed" and as a result service can go out for hours, days and even weeks. Also, Amnet used to provide great service but now that they merged with Tigo you never get your contracted speed. Many individuals get around 1/4 or less of their contracted speed which is terrible.

A Better Connection...

Ask for dedicated internet aka "Internet Dedicado", "Linea Dedicada", "Enlace Dedicada"

You can get a 2-4MB/s dedicated connection for around $100 USD a month, some range up to $150 and offer much better speeds. They are only available in regular wired service areas.

The outside where wired isn't available?

I live 2 miles from the city of Zacatecoluca (La Paz) and no wired service is currently available (lines got stolen) and wireless is limited to 2G (GPRS) which is way too slow!

Satellite is terrible and I need VoIP.

I found 2 solutions that work WELL with satellite.

1. LaTelco - this is a company from San Salvador that offers business class WiMax grade VPN with outstanding uptime, service and speed. They have service available in Zacatecoluca with a great signal strength. My price for a 1024kbps Symmetrical secure VPN line was $490.00 USD a month plus $90.00 installation. The price is high but service is great and if you need it for business, it works.

2. EConsulting - A satellite company in Honduras & Guatamela which also services El Salvador. Their parent office is back in Miami, FL USA and they are a reseller of Skytrackers. Unlimited 1MB/s (384kbps upload) with guaranteed speed. I use this now, no downtime. WORKS GREAT WITH MY VOIP! (They guarantee support for packet8) and best of it, its available where I live. I used my USA ID to start service and it charges my USA card. Satellite Equipment is expensive. I have a monthly price of $375.00 for my line including equipment rental monthly. It's a decent price and service is good. I'd highly recommend those.

Your options are about limited to those. Word is Claro and Tigo are currently attempting to get WiMax in the La Paz area and the rest of El Salvador. 15 companies have WiMax licenses in El Salvador at this time and the technology is growing fast, the future looks good for internet but for the meantime there are options. Anyway, in the USA tons of areas are still stuck with dialup. I was impressed with the extensive internet coverage in El Salvador and where traditional lines fail there are options.

Dear Readers

2009-12-05T07:52:00.000-08:00

This blog has not retired, ended or died! I will continue to post the wealth of information as always, the only reason updates have been rare is because I have been in the United States to do some work for the last few weeks. I will remain here for another month until January 16th. I will then return to El Salvador to live for 9 more years, so the information will continue to come.

I hope you all continue to use this as a source of information and reference, you can always contact me with questions and suggestions!

Updates will continue to post again starting the middle to end of January!

Muy Prontito....

Rains?

2009-11-09T19:45:00.001-08:00

It's been crazy in El Salvador the past 3 days! El Salvador, like any country has it's fair share of natural disasters and terrible weather! Surprisingly though, El Salvador seems a lot more calm as a whole. However, the past few days there have been terrible rains!

As a result streams and rivers overflow; landslides; and just general chaos! The areas affected the most were "S. Vincente, La Liberdad and parts of San Salvador". The main Costal Areas suffered. Up until now the president has declared a state of emergency and over 160 are dead as a result; 7,000 evacuated! Thank goodness, it finally looks like it's subsiding.

My heart goes out to everyone who lost loved ones or has suffered from this.

Postal System

2009-10-25T17:43:00.001-07:00

The postal system in El Salvador... does not exist! Alright, maybe that is a slight exaggeration. But honestly, I was a little shocked when I first had to receive mail in El Salvador.

Basically there are no mail boxes. Basically is not the correct term, it's actually exactly how it is. A complete lack of mailboxes, and "snail mail
basically does no exist.

From my experience, when a letter is sent to you in El Salvador, you either will get a knock on the door, or you will have to go to try and retrieve it yourself at a Postal Branch. The latter is actually the most common.

I know if it sent via FEDEX or another shipping service, you will have it brought to you, but otherwise; it does not work like that.

Just figured I'd give this as a heads up for anyone planning to send holiday cards to El Salvador for the first time.

Halloween in El Savador?

2009-10-16T21:24:00.000-07:00

That's a trick for sure, because there is no treat to be found in El Salvador.

I am personally a halloween fanatic;however, El Savador does not deliver on halloween. I would just like to actually note the culture seems to lack in all "Horror" aspects. Costumes aren't particularly common, horror scenes, etc. I don't see any horror/fun houses as common ground either.

So Oct. 31 is just another normal day in El Salvador.

Sorry halloween fans. :-(

Entertainment?

2009-10-02T23:21:00.001-07:00

Come one, come all... to the wonderful land of El Salvador...

Alright, today we talk about entertainment.

This was one of the first things I wondered about when I realized it was my time to move to El Salvador.

...Arcades? Pool Halls? Pools? Movies? Malls? Min-golf?! Jet-ski Rentals?!

Well. I'd just like to assure you all, there is a decent share of it all, below is a list of what I personally experienced, it may not be complete... but it sure is a good starting point!

Arcades - There is one full arcade, called "El Mundo Feliz" it's located between Avenida Los Sisimiles and San Antonio Abad (San Salvador). I seen a mountain of Arcade machines in various placing including road-side restaurants, you will see many aswell, from soccer based games to pac-man, arcade machines lurk in many places. Also, several beach-front resorts have full arcades open to guests.

Pool Halls - Pool tables can be found scattered around, some (although not many) bars feature pool tables. There are 2 Billiards Halls in San Salvador (maybe more).

Pools - Swimming pools can be found available at several places, including entertainment style venues such as "Rancho Willy"... also, many hotels in San Salvador have decent pools. Private colonias aka housing developments have public pools. The Tourist centers also have pools. They charge a fee, I believe around 0.80 cents to enter, atleast the one located at La Puntilla on La Costa Del Sol charged about that, Pools resemble the ones you've probably seen in North American, no difference. In the tourist centers they are often very over-crowded.

Movies - In the MetroCentro in San Salvador there is a gorgeous Cinemark theater. The price for a ticket was right at $1.00 USD. The theater is good quality, very up to date, reminded me again of a North American Theater. Movies are mostly all the same new releases found in the USA on the same dates, the only difference is many will be in English with Spanish subtitles at the bottom, although some of the more popular ones will be in Spanish (Dubbed in Spain). There are 8 or 9 other movie theaters scattered throughout El Salvador, I have visited 4. Pleasant experiences at all of them. They offer special prices on Tuesdays.

Mall - There are several "Metro-Centro" style malls, they are USA style malls, very large, very nice. The best of the best would be La Gran Bia in San Salvador, it looked like a very upper class american mall. It's truly beautiful. You will be amazed with every detail. North of San Salvador I visited another mall which was a very good size and had a huge array of both American and non-american stores. I have seen several others. They are fairly common!

Mini-Golf - I know there are probably several however I only ran into 1 mini golf, it was located in San Salvador, not far from the Metro-Centro. Games were 1.00 each and it was a very nice course.

Jet-Ski/Boat Rentals - Both available. At all the beach areas in general. I personally experienced them at La Puntilla on the Costa Del Sol. The pontoon boat was 20 dollars for an hour, the jet-skis were 40. I am sure you could find much better prices slightly outside the tourist area.

Cybercafe - A good place to go if you like Videogames. Many have decent computer systems with pre-installed popular games such as Halo & Call of Duty. You can hop on and play, they range from 60 to 80 cents an hour. A good source of a quick, relaxing game play. Cybercafe's ("Cibers") can be found throughout the country in every area, city or non-city area. You will not be without access, trust me.

In conclusion, there are many opportunities for entertainment in El Salvador. While the vast majority are centered around San Salvador and the Beach areas, you can find a little something just about everywhere. Take into account that El Salvador is not so large in size (although it is in heart)... so a quick drive may get you to a source of entertainment if it is not immediately available! The society & culture in El Salvador is right on cue with entertainment and enjoyability and I can see a very bright and fun future if they continue in this direction.

P.S. The burger king's in El Salvador DO have giant indoor play-places, so yes, take the kids there.

Edit: Thanks to "Edd" for the info on "El Mundo Feliz"! I will make an effort to seek out and review it in the future!

Are you connected?

2009-09-27T10:13:00.000-07:00

Are you connected in El Salvador? Very Much So.

When I moved to El Salvador, my first major concern or thought (after surviving) was if I could get internet access. Why?

Communication with family, free calls back to the USA using SIP (MagicJack), Movies/Television, News and now even work.

So I was very concerned, I had heard yes, but had no idea as to the coverage area, price, how fast it was.

The good news is that El Salvador has very good coverage, internet is practically available everywhere, high speed, I've yet to find an area where it is not, and we live quite a ways away from the capital, etc.

The internet comes from several companies, to name a few: Digicel, Tigo, Claro.

I personally have experience with Claro. It's ADSL. It's fast, rarely goes out.

The price is good by US standards but a bit steep in El Salvador.

The usual price range is based on speed and goes 256k,512k,1MB,2MB.

1MB is about average DSL in the US, that will run about 35 dollars a month in El Salvador, the lowest: 256k will run about 18 a month.

You can get both DSL and wireless using the cell networks, sadly 3G cell coverage is limited outside of the San Salvador area so DSL may be your best bet, although not for everyone. Claro offers non-contract internet with decent pricing.

You can also find internet access spread widely through almost every area via Internet Cafes which have high speed.

So yes, you will be connected.

Religion in El Salvador

2009-09-22T23:41:00.000-07:00

Religion in El Salvador is a very important topic. In the United States religion holds a heart in the place of many; but in El Salvador it's entirely different. Rather you are religious or not you should prep yourself on the society & culture's view and place for religion before your move to El Salvador.

El Salvador was primarily a catholic country. That has changed. You now see many many Evangelists. Evangelism is taking over a large part and it's not uncommon to see evangelistic chruches and schools.

I will say, there is still a strong catholic prescence however I am unsure it's the majority still.

Beautiful Catholic churches can be found throughout many of the smaller and larger cities. You will often find the doors open and people inside praying and viewing shrines.

It is not uncommon to find people crying or weeping as they pray, this is typical in El Salvador. You should not stare.

A few important things to remember before you go into a church....

-Wear Pants

While you may occasionally see a young Salvadoreno enter in shorts, it's not typical and many consider it disrespectful.

-No hats, caps or headgear.

Take off glasses, hats, caps, head-gear.

-Foot-wear

Sandals are not typically worn into churches. Many no longer notice this but some do.

-Keep your voice down

Pretend it's a library!

While your in El Salvador you will typically see many small churches, "Ensambles de Dios". They will typically practice and play music until 8PM, have open sessions, sometimes free meals.

In El Salvador... Saturday is the day for Evangelists. Most Evangelists go to church for 4-5 hours on Saturdays. They then continue with saturday as if it were a normal day.

Sunday is catholic. Same thing.

Many will also goto church various days of the week. Most do not push religion on you. Do not down-talk religion, respectfully decline if not interested. Keep your dislikes for religion to yourself, you may hurt many people's feelings or even bring them to tears if you do happen to bring negative talk. It's an emotional subject.

Not everyone goes to church, not everyong is strong on religion. It just depends on the family,area and specific person.

Rarely do you find other religions commonly practiced, there is a Johovah Witness church in La Paz, I have not seen too many others, but they are here.

I'd also like to add that I have seen several Baptist churchs as well.

UPDATE: A kind reader commented when I referred to the primary religion here as "christians". Technically everyone who believes in Christ as the Savior is a Christian, which includes Catholics. The people here, in El Salvador, refer to the Evangelists as "Cristianos", which means Christians. I therefore often do the same thing. In fact, they are Evangelists, therefore the primary religion here is Evangelism. I have confirmed this, thanks to our annonymous reader who commented :)

Also, he/she made a good point in mentioning, while religion is important here, it is not as controversial as in the United States. I have never seen anyone hate anyone over their religious beliefs here, I have seen it plenty in the United States.

Kitchens & Cooking

2009-09-20T00:47:00.000-07:00

The entire kitchen and cooking scene is very different in El Salvador. I'd like to go on to say that it also varies ALOT by region, for example what you might find in San Salvador, the capital... is very different than what you might find typically in the more "rural" setting of La Paz.

Traditionally many North Americans and Westerners are adjusted to the standard electric or gas range stove & oven, microwave, dishwasher, sink style setup. In El Salvador, I've come to notice this is drastically different. Maybe for better, maybe for worse... it all depends on you.

In San Salvador you will find that many kitchens resemble North American style (in general). They have the regular appliances (sometimes on a smaller scale) that you are already use to. The one thing you may not see as much, is a dishwasher. They are very uncommon, although once again... in San Salvador you may find them in some upscale apartments and housing.

The more traditional El Salvador Kitchen:

The more traditional kitchen is an indoor space defined as the "kitchen". Refrigerators are much more common these days, but many homes still lack them. In the Kitchen you will typically find a stone structure that allows cooking via Wood burning. This is the most typical means of cooking. The kitchen will typically not have good ventilation and smoke/fumes build up leading to discoloration of the walls, etc and a very uncomfortable sensation in your throat your first week or two around it. Sinks are very rare in the kitchen, you may have a water "well" or bucket system. A table is typical, but not always located in the actual kitchen, sometimes in a dining room, etc. In alot of places you will find showers off to the side of the kitchen space because the water is already ran to the one source, so they join them, not everyone uses this setup but it was common in older homes.

I'd like to point out, in alot more modern homes (which are popping up alot) for salvadoreno nationals and expats aswell... "normal" kitchens are alot more common. A small gas range with oven can be purchased for 300 dollars. A gas tank is only around 3 dollars a refill and lasts a good two months. So gas stoves are common in these days.

Normal counter-tops and sinks are becoming common due to the widespread use of "water-tanks" which provide "running water" allowing for a sink. Microwaves are somewhat more common as the price drops but people are weary of use because they draw a decent amount of electricity which still isn't the cheapest in El Salvador (still about 0.13 KWH which is still high by US Standards).

Many people as fore-mentioned now have refridges and freezers, although much smaller models versus the un-necessary full size models.

The variation in kitchens varies greatly in El Salvador, and mostly depends on where you are, age of the housing/community and the economic status of the owner of the house.

Outdoor "kitchens" are also very typical. These usually consist of an old metal drum/barell (think oil drum), with the top split down, allowing them to make a platform where wood is placed, and burnt and a large pan is placed above, the fire heats oil which cooks typical foods such as "Empanadas", "Enchiladas", "Pasteles", "Yuca".

Either way, kitchens are always present and functional. Indoors and Out. If you can't survive without a modern kitchen, fear-not... they are common. However, don't be suprised to see the good ol' wood cooker!

The Job Market

2009-09-19T00:47:00.000-07:00

The job-market in El Salvador, does not exist. Okay, fine. There is a job market. But it's very very different from here.

First off, make sure you have your work permission. You are not going to find work "under the table" or illegally. It's hard enough for honest, hard-working individuals with work permission to find work. I tried to find work without it and it didn't happen.

So, once you have your work permission... the most common fields are basically teaching english, call centers, and manual labor.

There are quite a few positions, just make sure you have strong attendance, good references and do not think you can miss work just because your sick, you'll be unemployed fast.

Your best online sources for jobs are:

http://www.tecoloco.com/ - Decent amount of listings in El Salvador. Look here.

http://www.manpower.com - Manpower El Salvador has positions usually. I talked to them. Very decent.

Academia Europa - Good to teach English. Staggered hours, it's on and off, but it's money and a good place to start off. No degree required, just speak english and some spanish. Pay is okay.

Call Centers - Dell, Sykes, Etc. Go In person, ask for a job. They will interview you in English. You better speak, read, write english well. The pay is 500-1500 a month. It's a decent work environment. You need English daily with customers. Very little spanish. They will hire mostly anyone who speaks English and shows up.

A moment of recognition...

2009-09-16T22:27:00.000-07:00

Dear Readers,

I am sorry, this post is not about my experience in El Salvador. This post is not about me. This post is about another blogger and her experience in El Salvador. I would like you all to take a minute to visit her blog. I read her blog and... It broke my heart.

Her husband had to go back to El Salvador, deported basically. He informed everyone he was scared for his life to go back. He went back and she began the transition to move there but before her and her daughter got over there, her husband was killed, shot 7 times while working.

I am not sure... what to say. My heart goes to her. It's horrible. I blog, everyday... I write about experiences. My partner was deported and that is my reason for moving. I thank god... this situation has not happened, and that we are in a little safer situation but you know what, it reminds me of the importance of saying "I love you" before we end conversation, of making the most of every minute...

It reminds me that immigration is a disgusting excuse for a system that does nothing more than tear families and lives apart. Last time I checked, EVERYONE IMMIGRATED HERE, news flash ICE... There were PEOPLE HERE in the USA before we came... before we KILLED THEM and TOOK THEIR LAND. And now, now we DENY other people.... the right to come here? WE SEND THEM BACK TO THEIR DEATH?

Everyone please visit: http://mividasalvadorena.blogspot.com/

Give her your words of support. God bless the lady.

Running Water

2009-09-09T00:46:00.001-07:00

I have been getting alot of emails on the subject of "Is it true there is no running water in El Salvador?". Alright, just 3 emails, but I'd like to address that right now!

What do you think, El Salvador is 3rd world or something? Of course there is running water!**

**Alright, some restrictions apply. Let's take a moment to discuss running water.

El Salvador has running water in many populated areas, San Salvador for example, and alot of the private colonias, have running water. In the private colonias it's "cleaned" so it's safe to drink. But either way, San Salvador, etc has running water. Is it perfect? No. It works, sometimes the pressure isn't the best, sometimes for a few hours (rare, maybe once a month) it stops working. But it is there!

Outside of San Salvador and the city areas, it depends. It depends on the person. People use a well for their water supply. If you lived in a rural area in the USA or another country, you've probably seen or used well water.

The idea is simple, a hole into the ground to tap into the natural water reserves underground. It's common everywhere, including El Salvador. You use an electric pump to draw the water to the house.

In North American well systems, the pump is constantly connect to electricity, un-switched and automatically runs and supplies water based on demand, creating pressure directly from the pump.

In El Salvador, Electricty is the 0.13 cents a kilowatt (US Price) and you don't make as much money, so you think before you use, as a result, the well pumps are switched.

You don't run it directly to your sink. People who use them typically run them to a tank (which is outside) above house level, the pump which you turn on daily to fill the tank, will fill the tank with water. The tank connects to your shower, toilet, sink. When you use water, it is fed by gravity from the tank to your sink, etc.

Result: It works just like running water. The water pressure is great, you'd think it came by pressurized pipes if you didn't see the tank.

The tanks are black so naturally during the day the sun hits them heating the water to a very warm temperature, so you won't freeze! (Oh yeah, you know... outside of San Salvador, hot water in your house is a rarity, almost non-existent). But you don't even need it, El Salvador is not particularly cold.

Electricity & El Salvador

2009-09-07T13:53:00.000-07:00

This post is regarding how to keep your energy bill in-line while having the necesary things you'll want after living in the USA.

Electricity in El Salvador is around 0.13 cents a KWH on average. So what does that mean? Well it means it's a little higher than most of the US (0.09-0.12 cents) but still better than some of the midwest (0.17 cents).

So you'll probably ask, why is that a problem? Because, in El Salvador you won't earn money by the hour, you will by the day and it will not be more than 10 dollars a day (most likely). So a 100 dollar electric bill is not going to be acceptable. Yes, it will be hard to control electricity, especially if you lived in the USA. No worries, I'll explain this.

First off, electricity works like this:

Appliances use a certain amount of WATTS (per hour). When they tell you how many WATTS they use, it's generally speaking per hour of usage. 1000 watts is a KWh (IE 1000 Watts will cost you 0.13 cents in El Salvador).

So, let's see what applicances you'll probably want or use:

Central A/C - Uses 2800 WATTS or more. The compressor and large fan suck down electricity. Having a Central AC is not a good idea, not if you want to have money. But the heat is terrible... so what's a solution?

Evaportive Cooler (Swamp Cooler) is not a solution, it will not work in El Salvador, humidity is way above 50% (around 90) and evaporative coolers won't function. So your best bet will be to c cool a single room, IE your bedroom. By a small window unit or a portable unit that is rated at 5,000 BTU. This uses approx. 800 watts of electricity per hour. That's manageable. What I usually do is this, I run the AC in my bedroom for 5 hours at night when i sleep, it uses 800 x 5 = 4000 watts or 4 KWh. That means it is costing me 0.52 cents a night. Multiply that by 30 and it will cost me 15 dollars a month. That's not exactly chump change in El Salvador, but it's way better than a couple hundred with a central AC.

Now that the biggest is out of the way, let's talk about other appliances. No hot water heaters (they are not common anyway). They use alot of electricity. Don't bother with them, unless you get a propane one or use a solar tank outside to heat water, they are cheap and effective.

Electric Oven/Stove - Forget it. Even if used casually use upwards of 4400 watts per KWh, it you use it a total of 10 hours (add up every time you cook) it would cost you 6 dollars a month. Thats un-necessary. Get a gas oven/stove. They are cheaper, easier to cook with and a gas cylinder refill costs under 3 dollars and will lost an average house 2-3 months. Every penny counts.

Lights - DO NOT USE REGULAR BULBS. Get the flourescent energy saving bulbs. A normal non-efficent bulb used 8 hours a day will cost you 3 dollars a month. Multiply that by say 5 lights and we have 15 dollars, that's the same as your AC. Use fluro bulbs, and you will use around 0.40 cents (with a 60w equivalent) per month per bulb.

A digital alarm clock will cost you around 3 dollars a month (assuming it's plugged in 24/7 as clocks usually are). You could get a battery powered one and save money, batteries are cheap in El Salvador (6 or 7 for a dollar usually at the local markets).

Computers - A computer uses around 90w per hour and an LCD monitor 120, CRT's use 160 usually. So your best bet is PC with LCD monitor. It will cost you around ... a few cents an hour. Get a power strip and click it off when not in use, it saves electricity.

Televisions - LCD/Plasma is the way to go. They use around 100watts an hour. Old projection and CRT use way more. Average to heavy TV use will cost aorund 4 or 5 a month.

Xbox 360 - Around 3 dollars a month with 4 hours a day. You'll use it less.

Wii - Uses literally 1/3 the electricity of the 360.

Fans - Very good on electric, stick to these instead of A/C if you can.

Refridge - I recommend a smaller unit, a little bigger than college dorm size but not a full size. They tend to use a fair amount of electric. A small one saves alot.

AVOID OUTDOOR HALOGEN LIGHTS AND HIGH POWERED STEREO EQUIPMENT, if the sound output is 1000 WATTS it uses 1000 WATTS per hour IE 0.13 cents. It adds up fast.

With energy efficent lights and just a refridge, you can get away with about 5 dollars a month electric. A full household with small AC used liberally can survive on 31.00 a month in electric; thats my bill with TV, PC, Lights, A/C.

It's very important in El Salvador to save money... it's not easy to come by. Most of the country has electric now but some parts still do not.

Finding someone to "jerry-rig" your meter so your electricity is cheaper is easy to find and cost around 200 USD. However, be careful if you do this, don't have him cut your usage real low all at once. The electric company rarely catches people using these and many many people do, it can cut your electric bill to 3-4 dollars a month with EVERYTHING on.

My only warning is if they do catch you... they ban your address and name for life from using their electric services.

A quick note on energy alternatives:

Solar Power - There is a high UV index in el salvador and solar powered devices work well however an average 8000 dollar solar system will produce less than 1KWh and hour of electric, much less, so it's not practical to power your household and with the price of electricity it would take around 20-30 years to gain back the value of the panel in saved costs. It's not practical nor useful right now; hopefully one day in the future.

Whats Familiar Part 1

2009-09-06T20:42:00.000-07:00

This is a short post detailing which stores you may find that are familiar from the US in El Salvador and where more or less to find them, no exact addresses since they are fairly useless in El Salvador, and GPS is still not widely used nor available.

Department/Clothes

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Dorians - A department store which is the same as Sears. I think it's owned by Sears but I'm not sure. Prices match Sears in the US, products aswell. Located at the Gran Via in San Salvador.

Journey/Foot Locker - Located in Multi Plaza in San Salvador. They are the same product lines, etc. Everything is just in spanish (obviously).

Gamestop - And variations of the Gamestop style store (with english names) are in the Multi Plaza. Prices are slightly HIGHER than in the US. Video Games are expensive in El Salvador and normal 50 dollar game can cost 70 or 80 dollars.

Other

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Office Depot - Located at the Multi Plaza in San Salvador. Very large Office Depot. Same as here.

Radioshack - Located in various locations in San Salvador, including in the Gran Via. Prices are the same as here, products are aswell. Good place to find laptop charges, memory cards, etc.

Restaurants/Food

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Burger King - Same as here, older style signs on most of them. They are scattered throughout the country but mainly located in San Salvador and popular areas. Prices are slightly cheaper than here (Economy Combos start at 1.99). Alot of them have old playplaces and they often have spanish on the signs that says "El Hamburguesa de Reyes".

McDonalds - Typical throughout San Salvador. Same menu as here, food tastes slightly better. Same fries but chicken is different. Burgers taste basically the same. Very slightly cheaper than US.

Wendy's - Several in San Salvador. It's the same.

Pizza Hut - Throughout San Salvador, The pizza is the exact same. Pizza Hut in the US and worldwide uses frozen product they ship; it's not made fresh. Menu includes mostly everything including the new tuscany pastas however no wings. Prices are the same as here.

Papa Johns - Tastes a little different but still good. Located throughout San Salvador, the one in the Gran Bia is particularly good.

KFC - Same prices as the US, same menu basically. Located in various places north of San Salvador and in San Salvador.

Subway - Same logo, same store style, etc. However the subs taste a little different, they still taste good. The bread is the same as here, some of the meats are just a little different. Prices are the same. Located throughout San Salvador.

Gas Stations/Convience

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Texaco - Fairly common throughout the country, some are 24 hours, most have bathroom facilities and convienance stores.

Exxon - Same as texaco above.

West Memphis - Located in Zacatecoluca, not sure where else. Has convience store, good service, no bathrooms.

Other

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Great Value Products (Walmart Brand) can be found in "La Despensa de Don Juan". There are several located throughout El Salvador, including a nice one in Zacatecoluca (La Paz). They bear US prices, product packaging is in English, they also use Walmart signs etc, however they are not an actual walmart store.

The Climate in El Salvador

2009-08-27T15:00:00.000-07:00

While El Salvador may be a very small country, the climate difference inbetween regions is HUGE! You can't possibly understand just how much the climate changes between such small distances.

The climate in El Salvador is broke down into two seasons: The wet and the dry season.

It usually always gets dark around 6.30 in El Salvador. It's not like the US where it can stay light out as late as 9 or 10PM in the summer. It just doesn't work that way. It's dark by 6.30PM.

The wet season is from mostly the summer months your use to here in the USA and the dry season is winter months.

The wet season is hot, fairly humid and ... has a heavy downpoor of rain daily between 3PM and 9PM. Maybe an hour or two rain, inches. Sometimes it lasts longer. Thunder aswell. It helps cool down and often is welcomed. It's very tropical weather, and I find it beautiful... your up for your own judgement.

Most people ride around in the back of pickup trucks in El Salvador, common transport... during the wet season use caution during the late afternoon beause a heavy rainstorm does not feel nice when your in the back of a truck doing 40KMPH down the road, those rain pellets HURT!

Anyway, back on climate: the temp. is hot, and it takes some adjusting.

If your use to the heat good, if not... the worst part is sleeping. Especially since almost nobody has AIR CONDITIONERS! No. Nope.

Reason: they cost alot more. A small window unit costs 357.00 USD on average. I shopped around and thats the average. You can find them a bit cheaper but never much. Also... electricity. Running an AC non stop you will pay about... 100 a month in Electricity with current rates and that is ALOT OF MONEY IN EL SALVADOR! It is not easy to earn 100 a month.

My advice for dealing with the heat would be to avoid staying outside for long periods, and get 2 fans aimed at your bed for sleeping, sleep in just undergarments and if you are building or buying a house there, get a false cieling (cielo falso) installed, they help reduce heat alot or so it feels after I got mine installed.

If you can afford it, get an AC. The heats not too bad during the day, it's at night when you goto sleep. Another thing that helps is sleeping and swinging in a hammock, it creates a cool breeze and helps you feel comfortable. Much less hot than a bed.

The dry season is just that, very little rain. Temperatures can drop as low as upper 40's to 50's (F) at night. The trees and plants tend to loose color due to the dryness. But it feels alot nicer.

The climate varies, you can drive 2KM and be in the middle of a downpoor that wasn't there 2KM before and will never go there, it's quite common.

The cooler regions are the mountains and san salvador. Around san salvador the colonies that are there are much cooler regions, and they seem to get more rain.

Over towards places like Zacatecoluca, things seem alot hotter and rain comes much later at night (such as... 9PM).

Overall, the climate is tropical and beautiful. It may take some getting use to though!

Driving in El Salvador

2009-08-26T18:32:00.000-07:00

Driving in El Salvador is ... well, an experience.

We can break driving down to two catagories. City (IE San Salvador) and Non-city driving.

City driving is chaotic, it's much like New York or Los Angeles. The roads are in great condition, lanes are marked clearly, and lots of signs... however, people always have somewhere to be and they drive very agressive. Taxi drivers and bus drivers are particularly dangerous. Be careful. They will cut you off, side swipe you, etc. They have no regard for cars or worse motorcycles. I'd advise you to NOT use a motorcycle in San Salvador.

Regular driving isn't that bad. I have driven many normal roads and inside of areas such as Zacatecoluca. You just need to take extra care around taxi and buses as mentioned and be careful for pedestrians. They will walk out in front of you, etc with no regard. So drive slowly where there are pedestrians.

Remember that in El Salvador most people do not follow the speed limit and cops rarely enforce speed limits. My advice to you would be drive as you feel comfortable. There generally is no speed limit, on some roads it may be 90km/h but you can go as fast as you want and the cops will not stop you. Also people will pass you as they please, dangerously around corners, bridges, etc. Get use to it fast, everyone does it. They don't like slow moving traffic. Avoid stopping on the side of the road.

At intersections people will cut around you if you hesistate. In the span of one minute, 3-4 cars may cut around you.

As crazy as driving sounds, it's not bad and it feels very natural. You just do as you please. Suprisingly there are less accidents on the road-ways there, they are actually quite rare except close to bars when alcohol is involoved.

Also remember: if you come to a red light and no one is coming in the opposite direction, don't be suprised if people behind you cut around and go through it. Many people simply go if the coast is clear even if the light is red. It's typical. The police don't bother you for it.

If a cop has his lights on behind you, he probably isn't after you. If he plans on stopping you he will beep to let you know, otherwise it's not you who he's after.

One more thing, often times buses and other cars will be on the side of the road, if you are going to pass one in the active flow of traffic, BEEP before you get to them several times, this is the accepted signal to tell them to wait until you pass. If you fail to do so, they will pull out in front of you.

Good luck, and have fun... it's not that bad. I actually like driving there better than in the US.

Apostille

2009-08-24T20:59:00.001-07:00

In order to apply for Temporary Residency you will need your Criminal Record Check & Birth Certificate. Both have to be "Apostilled".

Do this before you leave the USA.

There are several services IE Apostilla.com that work well and will get it done for you, but cost 200 dollars per document!

If you are a little more patient, goto www.google.com and search for "Apostille +State Name". Goto the office states website (usually first result) and it will tell you where to mail the document and how much, and the state will do it much cheaper. For VA it's 15 dollars and NJ is 25. So that's way better than 200.

Also it has to be apostilled in the state it's issued, IE I was born in NJ but lived in VA. I had to send my birth certificate to NJ, but I had a VA criminal record report since I lived in VA, so that had to be done in VA.

It takes typically 15 days total with the state. So plan ahead.

If your in a rush, pay apostilla.com and it can be returned in 4 days max, but you pay!

San Salvador

2009-08-24T08:55:00.000-07:00

There are many books and articles on San Salvador. However, few manage to mention anything even sligtly up to date or realistic. So I will be taking the time to tell you how I thought of San Salvador myself. Anyone moving to El Salvador for the first time should find this alot more helpful.

San Salvador is the capital of El Salvador and lies on a lowered plane in-between several volcanoes. You can see them from the city, and it makes for beautiful scenery. San Salvador is large in size, but feels very small. In comparison to major US Cities, it's small. I find San Salvador very comfortable.

Your first impression may be that it is ugly, but... you'll have to warm up to it. Sure, the colors are bland, there aren't as many flashy lights, and it's over-crowded, but what do you expect? It's the capital!

San Salvador is broken down into "zones" as I call them. You have... "La Zona Rosa" & "Escalon" which are probably the most well known. These are really nice, upscale zones. I personally wouldn't want to live in one (why do you want to move to ES to feel like you live in the US?). However, to visit, shop, eat, is great! Nightlife aswell, you will see the many bars and clubs in the Zona Rosa bustling up until 2 in the morning. Which is very late there (bear in mind, you start drinking on average at a club around 8pm, not 11PM like in the US, so 2 is late).

Right now the major hotspot club is "Zero Grado". Ask around on how to get there, any taxi driver can take you from anywhere in San Salvador for about 3 USD. I would recommend you take a taxi when you leave at night.

Parts of San Salvador are very dangerous mostly at night. The general tourist is fine. Stay to well populated and nice looking areas, don't carry an Iphone or large amounts of cash, etc.

You can find everything you need in San Salvador. "The Gran Bia/Multiplaza" is a huge gorgeous, 3 part mall with 2 indoor sections and a beautiul outdoor corridor. You will find many familiar fast food and other "American" stores here aswell as some nice El Salvador names.

It's truly a beautiful sight at night, I'd recommend going around 7PM weekdays. It gets dark around 6:30PM.

At the Gran Bia there is a Multiplex Movie Theater. It's very nice and they get mostly all the new releases on time. The cost is around 1 dollar a ticket. The movies are usually in English with Spanish Subs, except when they get them from spain (rare) they are in spoken spanish.

Every August there is an amazing huge Fair (Amusement Fair) held in San Salvador which features lots of rides, crafts, great food, fun times and cool stuff. It runs until 10 at night and stops August 10th.

San Salvador features lots of variety of food and you can find just about any type you want, Italian, Chinese, etc. If El Salvador has it, you will find it in San Salvador.

There is a bowling alley aswell. I found several small arcades, but mostly they put machines in other business.

Hotels in San Salvador with Bathroom and AC Average 40 USD a night, if you look around though there are several for 15 a night. Negotiate with them if you speak spanish, they may try to give you a higher price if they think your just a tourist with no spanish!

Airport!

2009-08-13T10:17:00.000-07:00

Alright, here it begins! You can buy a one way flight to El Salvador. You do not need to buy a roundtrip ticket. Immigration here does not ask you for proof. The airline is suppose to however if you fly TACA they will not. Ever.

Once you get on the plan you will be asked if your final destination (desinto final) is El Salvador. Say yes. They will give you a custom´s declartation paper. It´s a small paper you fill out asking if you are bringing more than 10k worth in your suitcases, etc. Answer however you want.

When you get off the plane you will walk down a very very long corridor in the airport in Comalapa, ES. It looks like a mall, with stores and restaurants lining both sides. You will follow signs for ¨Migracion¨. There is only one exit, so just head that way. You will be presented with 2 lines, one for extranjeros (foreigners) and one for salvadorenos or children of parents of salv.

Enter the appropriete line. If you pass the extranjero line, like I did, you will enter, come to a desk, the gentlemen will ask to see that paper you filled out on the plane, but you will keep it, if you didn´t fill it out on the plane, he will give you one. Also another paper, asking how long you want to stay. It´s a max of 3 months and it costs 10 dollars. You don´t have to leave after 3 months, it´s easy to residency here and immigration doesn´t deport you, especially if your american. You just pay a fine.

Anyway it´s 10 dollars USD for 3 months. D0n´t expect a cash register. They stick the money in their pocket, don´t think they are stealing your money, it´s typical here. After that you will pass into the luggage recovery area. Look for the NUMBER of your terminal, and your luggage will be on that conveyor.

Pick it up and you will see the exit, you will pass through a line where they ask for that sheet you had about customs. They just take it, they don´t check it nor your bags. You will walk outside. There are some street vendors, a pickup area and some car rentals. That´s it.

Welcome to El Salvador.

You will be located 30 kilometers from San Salvador the capital, 30 from Zacatecoluca, which is a decent sized city with little to do but a nice market and cheap hotels.

Costa del Sol is also close, a nice beach, follow signs for ¨Puntilla¨it´s the point, it´s the best part, beautiful and you can eat cheap food custom to here, grab a dollar beer, calm water there also, other parts are rough. There is a comfort inn and some other hotels aswell.

Average cost is 20 to 30 a night, but you can find some as low as 15, and 8 if you don´t need an AC.

AC is not typical so you pay more, always ask for it... it´s hard to sleep with the heat, it´s fine during the day though!

I will be posting lots more info soon!

Any questions, email me!

Ya!

2009-07-22T12:25:00.001-07:00

Alright. Monday, July 27 is the day when this blog will come to life. I will leave on a flight out of Washington DC (Dulles Int'l, IAD).

I will post the entire process of the airports, immigration in el salvador, etc as it comes! Just 5 more days.

Delay!

2009-06-23T12:53:00.000-07:00

This blog will be containing furthur move information however not this week, just want to keep it updated, currently I am on hold, due to some immigration issues and awaiting documents it won't be until probably next week when I make the big move, versus this friday like originally planned.

I will post an entry regarding the airport, flying, paperwork on the other side, etc once I get to that point! Keep your eyes here, information will come!

Tourist Card/Visa & Moving

2009-06-19T12:11:00.000-07:00

Today we will discuss the required paperwork to goto El Salvador. If you are a US Citizen, you will need a passport with atleast 6 months of validity left. If you do not have a passport, goto your local post office or passport agency, apply. You need to bring a birth certificate and an ID. I will tell you right now, if you do not have a license that is atleast 5 years old they will NOT accept it at the agency. The person filing you passport will accept it but once it's mailed out, they will send you a request for supplimental information which has to be 5 other documents to verify your identity. If your ID is not more than 5 years old, inform the person filing your passport papers, don't expect them to know; they don't. If you pay extra to expedite it and overnight delivery both ways the entire thing will cost around 187.00 USD. This will get you your passport within 1-2 weeks. It took mine 6 business days. Without paying the extra fees it takes about 4 weeks.

Once you have a passport you don't need anything else. You purchase a tourist card for 10 dollars when you enter El Salvador, you can ask for up to 90 days. That's what I am doing. No visa is required. Once you get to El Salvador, you'll want to apply for temporary residency (or rentista if you don't need to work there), ASAP, same week you arrive. I highly recommend the Gold Law Firm in San Salvador. The cost from them is $350.00 USD. That will get the temporary residency which has to be renewed every year for 5 years at which point you can apply for perminent residency. The process is not that hard. I'll keep you posted as I progress furthur through it.

If you plan to apply for residency you will need a Birth Certificate, one with an embossed seal, so no photocopies, etc. If you don't have one, Google how to request one based on the state where you lived. By mail the cost is usually around 20 dollars and takes 3-5 weeks. If you go in person, same day.

Also get a copy of your criminal record/lack of one, you can do this by looking this up online, it varies by state. In virginia you print off a form from the website, fill it out, check the box that says "FOR VISA USE" and then you mail it in with 15 dollar money order, they return the record or proof of no record within 12-14 business days. Mine took about 7 business days.

Once you have both of these documents, you need to have them Apostille. The state will do your record check and the state that issued will do your birth certificate. That's a pain, I found it easier to google Apostille service and the first few results are services where you mail them your documents and they take care of it. The entire turn-over is 4 days. I used one based in NY and had my documents back in 4 days. It costs 175.00 dollars. Do it that way, save yourself the stress. You NEED these documents to apply for residency in El Salvador. If your just visiting, it's not necessary.

If you are moving, you'll want to send some of your stuff. Appliances like microwaves, blenders, toasters, television are expensive and cheaper quality in El Salvador. Bring them from here. Faltscreen TV's in el salvador are VERY expensive, send yours from here. Bring your towels, blanket set, pillows.

A good invention is Space Bags, but them at target, you can get 5 for 15 dollars. You put your things in them, vaccum out the air. It allows you to fit 10x as much stuff in a box. Works on pillows and blankets, clothes, etc. Invest in them. Shipping to el salvador is based on cubic size not weight. So make use of your space.

Google a company called Medrano Express. They are the best option. They do door to door from US to ES, price is good. They insure it too.

You email or call them, they will deliver the boxes, and then come back for them to pickup. I ordered (5) 20x20x20 boxes, and one for my 42" LCD Television. The total cost to ship them plus insurance, taxes for bringing the objects into ES, etc is 1120 dollars.

In those boxes I managed to fit, all my clothes, towels, blankets, pillows, a computer, a printer, a projector (theater), a surround sound system, several large stuffed animals, and various other things. It's not a bad price, the telvision alone cost that in El Salvador. Ship it. Trust me when I say it is not cheaper to sell it and re-buy it there.

That is all for now, I'll keep you all updated.

Para Empezar

2009-06-19T12:07:00.000-07:00

This blog (la vida salvadorena) is created for those who may be or are planning to move to El Salvador. In addition, it will cover the life once you get there and how to establish this.

A little about myself to start: My name is Luis, I'm 24. I live in the United States as of right now. I'm italian, this move to El Salvador won't be the first time I have ever changede countries. I met my signifigant other here in the US, only for them to be deported (in the process as of this moment)... back to El Salvador. At said point I made the decision that love is more important than anything else and began the process of moving to el salvador so we can be together.

I will walk you through the process of preparing to go from the US, costs to move things, required paper work, etc and will continue once I am there. I should be there within 1-2 weeks from today, so the journey begins.