A wedding, a first communion and a baptsim... A saga

Part one of the Saga and it so happens all three events are happening in one family. A dear family, life long friends starting with our fathers. They met on a bus while in accountant school almost 40 years ago. The youngest son was married in a civil wedding (in El Salvador the civil wedding is performed separately of the religious one and generally and possibly by law, there is a week or so in between both events). For my friends, there is a 5 month span, but no worries, there was still a reception and cake!

Civil weddings are usually (contrary to the photographic evidence) a small affair attended by only family and very close friends. In this case, the church wedding in december will have at least 250 guests.

Civil weddings in El Salvador are officiated by attorneys (not marriage commissioners or judges thought the latter is possible). There are a number of laws (concerning the equal rights of both parties within the marriage, equal responsibilities, and expectations outlined in Salvadoran family law) that must be read out loud and understood by those being married. The civil wedding must be performed before a religious one in order for the marriage to be legal. The separation of church and state has been included intermittently in Salvadoran constituion since the early 19th century although his separation is mostly theoretical. Did this get super academic?

Santa Ana

El Salvador's second largest city. Beautiful and celebrating its patron saint in July. What a party and the tortas...OH the tortas!!!!

Santa Ana's Gothic style cathedral

The Cathedral sees a lot of activity. Some are tourists

Some are there for mass

Still others are there getting married

Artisan candy shop inside Santa Ana's city hall

 

 AND THEN....

 THE TORTAS!!!!

 These are called Torta Loca (crazy sandwich)

 If you eat one in less than 3 minutes and 21 seconds (the current one torta record) you get the torta free of charge. If you are a slow and steady wins the race kind of gal/guy, you can take your time and eat 3 in order to have them free of charge... Only in El Salvador!, in this case in fact, only in Santa Ana! Happy Santa Ana days!

El Salvador? There was a war right?...

Well, yes and you can Google all about it ,but what IS hard to find, are pictures and stories about how wonderful this place is. Yes, there are gangs and poverty and crime (and it should come as no surprise to anyone that the first and last things are perpetrated and suffered by the same group as the middle thing) Anyway, I am in love with this place and its people and here is partly why:

Lago de Coatepeque. A volcanic crater lake in the Santa Ana Department (or province) of El Salvador

Restaurant-side, lake-water pool

Lunch

The family (or a part of it anyway) in the background Jonathan, a kind and smart 14 year old who works weekends as a tour boat operator.

Royal Prince

No, it's not about the English Prince..It's about me of course! We went to see some Mayan ruins today and in the people near the areas of the ruins and in the drawings and statues, I see my face reflected. A strange thing I have never before noticed.

 

San Andres Ruins

Tazumal. Largest excavated Mayan ruins in El Salvador

Things that make you go hmmm...

What a life, if only it were eternal!

Is a roughly translated, common saying in El Salvador and it is best exemplified by a couple of days at the beach! Costa Del Sol, El Salvador.

Just a few pics

Of the Salvadorean views.
Enjoy.

Public Art at MARTE (Museum of Art of El Salvador)

National Cathedral

National Cathedral

Any movie, $0.50

Inner courtyard at family home in Nejapa, San Salvador

Nejapa, San Salvador. Outside of family colonial house.

A view of San Salvador

Municipal Palace, Santa Tecla

"El Chulon" at MARTE

French Style colonial mansion, San Salvador

A view from a hill

Lake Suchitlan

Breakfast with the family. Nejapa market, San Salvador

Water Springs, Nejapa

Spring Water, Nejapa

Nejapa, San Salvador

An old dirt road, Nejapa

Downtown Market