Arrival

The saying "Getting there is half the fun" became obsolete with the advent of commercial airlines."
  - Henry J. Tillman

So, I made it.  Cranbrook, BC-->Vancouver, BC-->Los Angeles, California--> San Salvador, El Salvador--> Tegucigalpa, Honduras. 

Even my luggage made it, and there were helpful English speaking customs officers, a cheerful teenage porter with a Canadian pin on his tie that he gleefully pointed out to me, and Norman, a kind driver and eager guide, who picked me up from the airport and brought me to a beautiful B&B in a nice part of town (Hotel Alsacia). Norman kindly spoke slowly and clearly, so that I was able to understand most of what he was saying and even had the confidence to ask a few questions of my own.

 Tonight I await my colleague, Stéphane, a francophone who attended training with me in Ottawa and who will be working in El Salvador after our training together here. Beyond that, I don't know what the schedule holds, but I do know that my reservation here, within the lap of luxury and wi-fi, is at least one week in duration.

Of note:    ñ     ¡     á     é      í      ó      ú       ¿

- Armed guards at the Wendy's/gas and convenience store, presumeably protecting the petroleum and not the ground beef.

- An enormous Coca Cola sign on one of the many hillsides that overlooks the city, in the style of the Hollywood sign in LA.  Its backdrop is an enormous statue of a Catholic Saint.  Ahh,  epic contrasts.

- Razorwire fences surrounding many residences and properties, including the church across the street.  This is a mucky-muck neighbourhood, so most places just have fully closed off, high walls with locked metal gates. On our drive, Norman pointed out that wealth concentrated in the hands of the very few is a big problem here, as in the rest of the world.

Hasta luego,

G