Day Two

Here we go again!
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Hi - Well - here it is bedtime on Day Two.  Where to start?

Notes From Brenda

Another interesting day has gone by and I'm happy that every day I'm going and learning about different places. Today I had to go the embassy and things went smoother than what I had imagined. After the embassy came the best part: shopping! We went to a mall call Galerias and it's just like an American mall except for some stores, but we were successful in our shopping there. Then we went to a local crafts place and they had some really beautiful pottery and souveniers. Now I'm going to sleep so talk to you guys later.

Brenda and our companion/guide, Salvador Argueta, in the Galerias Lobby area. Pretty fancy!
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love, Brenda

Notes from Lynn

At about 7:30 am, I went to the breakfast buffet for our room.  I sat at a nice round table - looking out a floor to ceiling window at the mountain in the middle of the city.  The fancy neighborhoods are higher on the hills - cooler I guess.  I had coffee and worked on y sewing and had a delicious bowl of something really unusual - Corn Flakes!  Brenda came up at 8:30 am and we finished breakfast together.  Large buffet offerings - yogurt, pastries, eggs, toast, sliced deli meats, cut up fruit, fresh squeezed juices and more.  That is our breakfast M-F but Saturday and Sunday the mega-sized main hotel buffet is available for us.  That is beyond listing all the items laid out for one to eat.

A glimpse of the market where we went shopping after the trip to the fancy mall.
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We made sandwiches for lunch and went upstairs to get dressed.  The cell phone rang and it was the lawyer from El Salvador telling us that the Embassy had called asking that we come at 11:30 am instead of 1:30 pm.  We had lots of time to get ready and we got there on time.

The number of guards was larger than when I was here with Yesenia.  The guards placed orange cones along the street where the entrance is and they don't let any cars slow down there.  The restricted area was double what it was in December 2007.  So we got out of the car further down the road and walked to the main entrance.  Probably the incident on 7 July in Turkey caused the changes.

Of course, the guards at the first door - "caseta" - were unwilling to let us go in because the appointment letter said 1:30 pm and it was 11:25 am.  I kept asking him to just call the woman but he was reluctant to do so.  Why?  Your guess is as good as mine but mine is that none of the guards want to do ANYTHING out of the ordinary.  I think that my being clearly American made a difference.  At one point, he saw the word "documents" on our letter and asked me to show him what I was bringing.  I just said "No" and repeated that he should call her.

Finally he let us inside and through the first barrier.  Eventually, one other guard  decided to "pass the buck" and send us on to the next check point.  Fine with me.  I am always happy to get away from the guards with guns.

When we reached the second door, no problem there at all.  We showed our passports and in we went.  We sat and waited in the side area until the inner guard returned to us and said to go to Window 11.  It looks like a series of betting windows or a funny old bank or something.  At WIndow 11, we stood and shortly the venetian blind was raised and there was Elizabeth Zelle, our contact, and a folder of papers about Brenda in her hand.  She requested some extra documents (which were all in our folder, BTW) and then sent Brenda for her fingerprints down the wall at Window #2.

The lawyer who worked with our lawyer from El Salvador came to the window to say hello to us.  She told Brenda how pretty she was and how happy she was to see her in person.  We thanked her for her assistance with our case.

When we go back to get the Visa next week, we will go for our first stop to Window #11 where Elizabeth will give us a payment amount to take to Window #1 - where you pay!!!  Then we will take our receipt back to her and - DONE!

Anyway, imagine - after all the work - less than 15 minutes and we were out.  Anti-climatic in a wonderful, wonderful way! She told us she will call on Monday or Tuesday to give us the information about when to come back.  She was very pleasant and said we were very organized.  "I  wish everyone was that organized when they got here," she said.  Big smile from me.

Out we went to our driver and on to go back to the hotel.  (Elizabeth Zelle had called him for us because no cell phones are allowed inside the appointment area.)  We put all our documents in the safe at the hotel - no chances on losing anything at this point!  Then off we went to the GALLERIAS Shopping center.  Lots of beautiful stores and a HUGE food court.  After our successful shopping trip, we took our sandwiches and sat comfortably in the food court!  Fortunately, there was an ice cream store right there!  :-)

Then we went to the Crafts Flea Market where we saw lots of beautiful hand made items - from all over Central America - not just El Salvador.  We bought some things but plan to go back before we leave.

We dropped Brenda at the hotel and I went to services at the synagogue here. In addition to the regulars, a large group of Jewish World Service staff members were in town.  Only 30 Jewish families here but there were 80+ persons at services.  The oldest member of the congregation (she is 87) cuts the Challah for Kiddush.  Everyone chats and then leaves to go home for dinner.

Our room entitles us to a lavish Happy Hour Buffet as well as breakfast so I wasn't concerned about Brenda's dinner.  She went up to the Lounge and there was the usual offering of beverages, alcoholic and non-alcoholic -fruits and breads with two flavors of BBQ chicken wings as the special tonight.  Last night was mussels and mini chicken skewers.

After services, on the way back to the hotel, we stopped for take-out quesadillas and Brenda and I ate comfortably in our room.  Then a bit of TV and now to sleep.

We have a big day tomorrow:  Brenda's dream comes true and she goes to see her Grandmother in Chalchuapa, Santa Ana.  We will leave San Salvador for the two hour drive around 9:00 am.

Well, that's all for me.  Good night.