The Drive

Highway 2 runs across El Salvador east to west. We pick it up near the airport which is south of the capital San Salvador. It’s a 2 lane road with traffic markings similar to those in North American or Europe. The road is very busy with semi-trucks, pickups, buses, cars, cattle, men on horse back and ox carts. Passing through pueblos, vendors are on the sides of the road with locally grown produce, both domestic and wild.

We pass over the first bridge that spans a major river. There are always trucks in the river bed loading gravel to make bricks at a local brick yard. Off to our left is a range of volcanoes that extend to our new home town and beyond. It can be a clear day except for the clouds that paint the volcanic mountains with ever changing imagery.

The region becomes more focused on agriculture as we proceed east. We pass giant John Deere tractors, some with attachments, also some older Ford tractors. We stop for cattle that have filled the road. We beep and they moo, continuing slowly with their cow strut to the other side.

We near Usulután and slow down for speed bumps. Vendors approach our truck with candy, fruit and locally grown cashews. These nuts (here called seeds) are unsalted with a richer taste than the ones offered by Mr. Peanut. Locally made wood furniture is offered on the side of the highway here and across the country. Some of furniture is very ornate and others are very primitive.

In Usulután the highway splits into one-way streets. Many older buildings have survived the past earthquakes. In the old center are a town square park, a cathedral, and much commerce. We see a CITI bank and at the end of town a Wendy’s and a Pizza Hut. They are packed for breakfast, lunch and dinner. There are also hundreds of small cantinas.

We are still on Highway 2 heading east to Concepcion Batres. We pass large trucks filled with campesinos heading to the fields for a days work. The sugar cane whose harvest was just completed is already 6 feet tall in some fields. We pass over a bridge with the Rio Batres below, our marker that our community is just ahead and we make a right hand turn.

Children pouring out of school take over the street. We follow slowly behind. We make our final turn and follow a herd of cattle for a block. Then we are to our casa, our new home for the next 2 years.

David y Nancy