Navidad Salvadoreno - Part 3

Tazumal
There are only 3 archaeological sites in the country that are open to the public: Joya de Ceren, (the Pompeii of El Salvador,) San Andres, (a small, poorly-preserved pyramid,) and Tazumal.  Tazumal is at the northwest tip of the country right near the border with Guatemala.  It was a long drive for the baby, but we were rewarded with the largest and most interesting ruins in the country.

There were 2 pyramids that appeared to be connected by levels of stairs and walkways.  A small section of narrow, underground corridors had also been excavated.  We also saw what appeared to be shallow, narrow channels lined with smooth stones (rain gutters??) and stairways that led down into rectangular structures.  There were no maps to assist the uninformed tourist, and where there were signs they were too faded by the sun to read, and what you could read was frustratingly vague.  ("This is an important archaeological site used by the Maya.  It may have been ceremonial in nature.")

It was sweltering, and after a couple of hours I was soooo done.  Mario haggled for some beautiful jade pieces, and we were on our way home.

Ilobasco
The town of Ilobasco is the best place in the country aside from the airport, (no joke,) to find artisanal souvenirs.  We were on a mission to get a well-made, traditional but not-too-Catholic nativity.  I almost bought the one pictured here,  meanwhile Tio Jairo and Windham tried out a marimba in a gift shop.

We did find a perfect nativity, but unfortunately for Tia Xiomara, her perfect nativity had been bought by someone else while she browsed other stores.  Come to find out, WE had bought the nativity she had her eye on!  Oops.  We settled the awkward dilemma using "Finders, Keepers."

Pollo Campero
What trip to El Salvador would be complete without visiting Pollo Campero?  You may turn up your nose when I describe Pollo Campero as the Salvadoran KFC, but consider this:

1.  It's the only building in the department (like a county) with AC, and it was summer in El Salvador
2.  It's the only restaurant in the department you know won't make you sick
3.  It's the only restaurant in the department where you can actually get good service from kind, helpful servers

Not too shabby, right?  Plus they gave Windham a crown. 

Navidad Salvadoreno - Part 2

We spent the majority of our time with Mario's family in a town called Sensuntepeque.  It's a small town with not much to do in the way of vacationy stuff so we spent the time eating amazing Salvadoran home cooking, walking around the centro, (park in the middle of town,) and visiting with family.

Sensunte market at Christmas

About the middle of our stay we were running low on diapers and ventured to the one grocery store in town, Super Selectos.  It's located near the outdoor market, which in the days immediately preceding Christmas, is a madhouse.  Everyone from surrounding small towns floods Sensuntepeque to buy last-minute Christmas items.  Cars and pedestrians filled the street, and we had to weave between cars spewing black exhaust.  Inside Super Selectos it was so full the check out lines were backed up down the isles.  A speaker right at baby ear-level blasted music and ofertas.  We made it there and back unharmed, but needless to say it was our first and only family trip to the mercado.

Reyes family cousins and Tia Xiomara

Windham did remarkably well with the 20+ family members wanting to hold and play with him.  But when he was done he'd always come to mama or dad.  He especially loved attention from Tio Jairo, who chased him around, carried him endlessly, and let him play with his phone.  Jairo was a wonderful host and drove us all around the country from the airport to the beach to the ruins.



 

Navidad Salvadoreno - Part 1

Tucson at the Gran Via in San Salvador

We braved crowded airports and cramped planes to visit Mario's family in El Salvador for the holidays this year.  Mario grew up in the U.S. and we try to visit every year.  While Mario and I have both been to El Salvador several times, this was Windham's first time visiting the country and meeting many family members.

We spent our first several days in San Salvador with my gran amiga, Yeymi, and her kind husband.  While the food in this picture left much to be desired, we can never get enough of our wonderful hosts.

One of our biggest trip highlights was visiting the San Salvador, El Salvador LDS Temple.  Mario and I took turns going inside while the other stayed outside on the grounds with Yeymi and the baby.  It's not an exaggeration to say it is the most beautiful and well constructed building in the entire country.  (Perhaps excepting the ruins in their prime???)  Although we were only there a short time, it was well worth it. 

Windham Turns 1!

Someone got busy during the holidays and forgot to publish the post from Windham's birthday...

December 8, 2012 was Windham's first birthday!  Despite the date being sandwiched between Mario's birthday and Thanksgiving and Christmas and my birthday we decided to throw a party.  Our amazingly talented artist friend, Jess Smart Smiley, designed the invitations and other party goodies.

It was robot-themed.  We destroyed a Transformer pinata, constructed candy robot-krispies, and extinguished an adorable robot cake.  Same time next year?