Monsenor Romero Remembered March 24

     Oscar Arnulfo Romero is one of the great Heroes and Saints of our world along with Ghandi, Martin Luther King, J.F.Kennedy, and Nelson Mandela.  All of them worked for Human Rights and better conditions for the poor without promoting more violence.  He was appointed Archbishop of San Salvador in 1977, and then his friend Rutilio Grande was assassinated soon after for organizing the poor.  This tragic event led Monsenor Romero to speak out loud on the injustices, repression,and death squad murders against the poor by the ruling government.  On March 24, 1980 he was assassinated in the Chapel of the Divine Providence Hospital after a sermon calling on the government soldiers to stop killing innocent people.  Later during his funeral at the National Cathedral of San Salvador the government troops fired on and bombed mourners.

     I marched in solidarity last night with my friends, the brave Salvadoran People, and people around the world who want to remember Monsenor Romero and all that he said and also did for the poor and opressed.  We want to remember that today these acts of violence and social abuse continue in our world.  Last night there was a huge full moon that only comes once every 20 or 30 years, and it lit the path of our journey to the Cathedral together while we were singing and saying out loud that Romero Lives!  JUSTICE lives!!   Peace!
     *** If you are interested, there is an excellent book,"Oscar Romero- Memories in Mosaic" by Maria Lopez Vigil published by Epica.

LAS MUJERES (The Women)

     The International Womens' Day was March 8.  I marched with students and teachers from my Language School together with energetic Salvadorans who actively want better opportunities and social justice.  We marched for many blocks in the heat, and we ended at the large shady Park "Cutzatlan".  The Day was full of color, hope, beautiful art, music, poetry, drum beats, laughter, food, and Women who want changes around the world.  I liked the fact that babies, young girls, and women of all ages participated, and hoped for a better future free of domestic violence, abuse, and unfair economic situations.  My thanks to fellow student friends Ana and Kevin for use of their photos.

Volcano San Salvador

                                                             San Salvador and the volcano

                                                   

                                                     View from the top

                                                                  Volcano San Salvador 

                                                          View of Panchemalco

View of Lake Ilopango

Volcano San Salvador is the 5th highest volcano in El Salvador.  Don't worry!  It's dormant with a large 540m deep crater called El Boqueron ("Big Mouth"). I hiked up to the top with my Language class to a look-out with amazing views below of San Salvador and Pachemalco, the ocean, and Lake Ilopango.  There is a wonderful old Indian Legend in El Salvador about "Cipitin" who lives in a cave at the foot of a volcano called "Sihuatepeque", and he scatters volcanic ash like stardust.  He represents pure love to those young that can see him when they visit the volcano.

CONTRAST

      We have "Contrast" in art and music so I want to give a balanced picture of what "La Vida" (the Life) is for so many people here in El Salvador.  Daily life for the poor here in the Capital city, San Salvador means long hard physical labor in extreme heat and humidity.  The average city person who works and sells in the central market works from 3 or 4am. until 9 or 10pm. six or seven days per week.  They must get their fruits & vegetables, etc. to the market any way they can which includes carrying extreme weight on their heads or backs.  If they are lucky they have an old wheelbarrow or push cart.  Some carry huge baskets on buses for hours.

                                                                                Flower Lady

                                                                      Market Lady & I

                                                                 Beautiful Flower Lady

     I am amazed at their endurance and ability to survive hard times.  I want to contrast one picture of their hectic city life with the inherent Beauty and strength of the Salvadoran people.  For example, the elderly beautiful woman with a flower was carrying a huge load of flowers & plants on her head to sell at market.  It took my Spanish teacher, Lisandra & I to lift the load off her head so I could buy some flowers from her.

La Palma

La Palma

Fernando LLort  Mural design

Oscar, our teacher amigo, me & amigo Pedro from Holland

Traditional oven for baking bread  - Delicious!!!

Salvadoran "La Palma" amigo Juan, grandma, & Pedro

     La Palma is a picturesque art village in the northern mountain area of El Salvador very close to the Honduran border.  Some friends and I from the language school took a local bus on Saturday.  The trip took 4 hours one way by bus up into beautiful pine covered hills.  An artist named Fernando LLort moved there in the 1970s to avoid the war violence.  He taught the local people to paint, and let them use his designs.  He has moved back to San Salvador, the Capital, and continues to paint.  La Palma today is noted for fine folk style paintings of local animals, houses, people, and nature.  I recently went to see a new exhibit of Fernando LLort, and I am starting to meet the local Salvadoran artists, writers, and musicians who have so much beauty and hope to share.  They are amazing survivors, and their stories are worth hearing today.

"Surfs Up" Tunco Beach, El Salvador

Tunco Beach

     My Spanish Language friends & I took a local bus to one of the beautiful Pacific Coast beaches here in El Salvador. Its a 300km stretch of pristine tropical beaches with fantastic cliffs lined with palm trees.  There are no high rise hotels or Condos.  You can relax in a hammock or swim/surf in clean waters.  There are fishing villages where you can sit at an outdoor restaurant and enjoy fresh caught fish.  Tunco Beach is one of the most popular beaches for surfing.  Surfers from all over the world come here.  The atmosphere is friendly, and we stayed with a local Salvadoran couple who had a few rooms to rent.  We say here, "Todos es tranquilo!" (everything is tranquil!)

Life(VIDA) in El Salvador

Traditional Weaving

                             Panchimalcho, a peaceful small town rich in Indigenous Indian Culture

Santa Cruz de Roma 1725

                                                         

Traditional Dances

                                                                    

     Our Spanish Language Class took a wild bus ride to Panchimalcho near the Capital of San Salvador.  The buses only cost .20, and they are called "chicken buses" because they stop anywhere along the road and the locals get on the bus with their chickens & things.  The people here are very friendly and beautiful.  They love to laugh at us "gringos" in a nice fun way.  My Dutch friend, Peter (Pedro) doesn't speak much Spanish or English, and he is so tall he touches the ceiling of the buses which makes everyone laugh.  Yesterday, on the way home, Peter fell flat on the floor of the bus because they drive crazy fast, and you must hold on for dear life when they make a turn.  We all laugh because the bus rides are like the thrill rides at Disneyland.  Panchimalco also has the oldest Church still in use in El Salvador, founded in 1725.  There is a wonderful Cultural Museum here along with kids dancing old local dances, and a lady who demonstrates traditional weaving.