Joe spoke of the UCA (University of Central America) and gave us a bit of history as the next day (yesterday) we were heading there to see what really went on during the Civil War. It would be impossible for me to go into great detail with regards to this story, so if you are interested please google it on line, but I will give you the Cole's Notes version.
In the late eighties, while a very violent and chaotic civil war was going on, there were 6 Jesuit Priests murdered, along with the housekeeper and her daughter. This massacre took place on the grounds of the University. It rocked not only El Salvador but all of Latin America. Joe has visited this place several times in the past and was able to give us a guided tour. There are glass cases preserving every detail of the massacre. The blood stained clothing that they were wearing at the moment they lost their lives as well as personal belongings including eye glasses and shoes. I was left speechless. Even with Joe's warning of how graphic this would be, I was still rocked to my core. There were even photo albums containing photos of the bodies after they had been beaten beyond recognition. These images will never leave me.
Our taxi driver, Gino (Sandra's son) was 11 years old at the time of the massacre and as we head off toward the market, he goes into great detail of his childhood memories. He can recall the sound of gunshots and his mother placing mattresses in front of the windows of their home as protection. They lived in constant fear.
The fear that the El Salvadorians live with now is gang violence. We are continually being told to stay away from certain areas of San Salvador and to be aware of our surroundings. However, to be perfectly honest with you I feel very safe here. Perhaps it's just because we are sticking to the rules and not wandering too far.
Last night we had the privilege of visiting Sandra's home and meeting her family. She lives in a tiny gated community. When I say "gated", I think of the gated communities in Florida but this is nothing like that. It is a very poor area and security is necessary to keep them safe. Sandra's home is spotless. The minute you walk in you feel a strong sense of family. Sandra lives with her mother, the cutest thing on this planet. She is half my size and when offered a beer, she nods enthusiastically. She is 81 years old and full of life. Sandra's son, Boris also lives upstairs.
In the back ground, a symphony of 80's music played on CD's that have been burned and purchased for a dollar each on the black market. We all know the words to every song.
We take a quick tour of Sandra's home. It consists of two bedrooms on the main floor, a living/dining room and a kitchen, all of which are tiny. At the back is a little garden where Sandra grows every fresh herb imaginable. It smells incredible. In the corner are 3 small turtles that are free to roam the garden. This is common in El Salvadorian homes as the eggs are a delicacy, although Sandra does not have them for the eggs, she just loves to be surrounded by nature.
Sandra's daughter, Ingrid begins to carry large platters to the table and we gorge ourselves on the best Seafood Paella I have ever tasted.
And the best Papusa I have had so far, made by Sandra's brother who owns a Papuseria. (A Papusa is a tortilla stuffed with cheese, beans and pork or any combination of the the three).
It starts to rain hard and Sandra's grandson's, Benjamin and Daniel are starting to nod off so we hop in Gino's taxi once more and head back to the hotel. It's after 10:00pm and believe it or not, we are usually in our beds by 10:00pm. All four of use wake up around 5:30 every morning and by the end of the day we are exhausted.
Today is our last full day in El Salvador so we are going to finish up some shopping for the kids and head back to the market. I failed to buy a gorgeous, colorful blanket yesterday and I haven't been able to get it out of my mind. It's cloudy today and I look forward to being out of the scorching heat.
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