Protests in San Salvador

The last three days of our visit to El Salvador were marred by strife. On Wednesday, there was a ¨parade¨ in town to protest the 20 to 25 cent rate hike for bus travel. It made since to me with gas prices being so high. But I can also understand that someone with only 200 per month to spend, can´t really afford to spend 20 a week on bus travel to and from work. It´s really an unwinnable situation. Anyway… during the parade, two police officers were killed. Today, Friday, the day before we leave, there is another parade. They have closed off the main roads in San Salvador so that it is impossible to come into or to leave the city unless you´re on foot. This includes the road to the airport. Now, Eliseo is pretty calm about this whole thing, telling me it´s really no big deal .. but I don’t´really believe him. Mostly because, well, it seems to me that there are a lot of armed people walking around. Here the police officers are walking around with semi-automatic weapons --- at least i´m going to call them that. Guards are hired for the stores and protect them with the same types of rifles. And you know as well as I do that every single time there is a some protest, a reason to be angry, the crazies come out of the closet and use it as an excuse to do something well crazy. But Jose and Eliseo are out walking to buy souveniors --- I expect huge thanks for that – and to go to the office (I don´t know which one) to get Isaiah´s birth certificate for Salvadoreno citizenship (you never know if he´ll be good in soccer --- maybe he can play for the Olympics that way… though it´s doubtful that El Salvador would ever get team to the Olympics). And so, I´m here, writing to help take my mind off the danger that may be out there – wearing Jose´s wedding band because it´s too dangerous to have it on in the streets today.