Day 2:
We got settled into our amazing hotel and began the hunt for our long lost rental car.
We called all of the rental companies and soon realized that they all had the same
phone number. I guess there is only one company here and it operates under any
name you would like to use. They quoted us a rental price of over $800 before tax
and insurance. Luckily I had made a reservation in January for only $187. We
were finally able to convince the rental guy that he needed to honor our reservation
so he came and picked us up at the hotel and took us back to his office. On the
way he asked what we were doing in El Salvador and we told him about the temple.
He said he had gone to the open house and took us on a small detour and showed
us the temple.
We called all of the rental companies and soon realized that they all had the same
phone number. I guess there is only one company here and it operates under any
name you would like to use. They quoted us a rental price of over $800 before tax
and insurance. Luckily I had made a reservation in January for only $187. We
were finally able to convince the rental guy that he needed to honor our reservation
so he came and picked us up at the hotel and took us back to his office. On the
way he asked what we were doing in El Salvador and we told him about the temple.
He said he had gone to the open house and took us on a small detour and showed
us the temple.
That evening we stopped by the temple to walk around the grounds. It just so
happened that there was a large group of members at the temple having a training
on how to direct traffic and people during the dedication. We were able to talk with
some members there and one even arranged for us to meet back at the temple the
next morning at 8 to pick up some tickets to the cultural event that is scheduled
for Saturday! I then took Lynley on a short tour of my area in Ciudad Merliot and
stopped to visit with a family I baptized. They were so excited to see us and
welcomed us into their home and made us some of the most amazing pupusas
I have ever had. Lynley seemed to really enjoy them and has asked for pupusas
every day since then.
happened that there was a large group of members at the temple having a training
on how to direct traffic and people during the dedication. We were able to talk with
some members there and one even arranged for us to meet back at the temple the
next morning at 8 to pick up some tickets to the cultural event that is scheduled
for Saturday! I then took Lynley on a short tour of my area in Ciudad Merliot and
stopped to visit with a family I baptized. They were so excited to see us and
welcomed us into their home and made us some of the most amazing pupusas
I have ever had. Lynley seemed to really enjoy them and has asked for pupusas
every day since then.
Day 3:
Today we woke up early so that we could get on the road before it was too late.
We met another couple that had come here for the dedication as well. They are
obviously morning people because we haven't seen them since. After eating a
great meal of papaya, fried bananas, cream, and beans we ran over to the temple
to pick up our tickets to the cultural event. We even arrived early! The gate keeper
would not let us into the temple lot, even after showing him our recommends. So we
sat on the curb like little homeless iguanas (garobos) and looked longingly toward the
temple like Dolly does when begging for ham. Finally after 15 minutes the guard
decided to give us his own interview. He asked if we were both mormon, if we knew
the temple president's name, if we knew the name of the president of operations for
the temple construction, and if we knew the name of the person we had come to see.
We could only answer the first one correctly. We just guessed that the names of the
other three were Juan Garcia, Pedro Sanches Guadalupe de la Cruz, and Enrique Iglesias.
I guess we got them right because he let us in.
We met another couple that had come here for the dedication as well. They are
obviously morning people because we haven't seen them since. After eating a
great meal of papaya, fried bananas, cream, and beans we ran over to the temple
to pick up our tickets to the cultural event. We even arrived early! The gate keeper
would not let us into the temple lot, even after showing him our recommends. So we
sat on the curb like little homeless iguanas (garobos) and looked longingly toward the
temple like Dolly does when begging for ham. Finally after 15 minutes the guard
decided to give us his own interview. He asked if we were both mormon, if we knew
the temple president's name, if we knew the name of the president of operations for
the temple construction, and if we knew the name of the person we had come to see.
We could only answer the first one correctly. We just guessed that the names of the
other three were Juan Garcia, Pedro Sanches Guadalupe de la Cruz, and Enrique Iglesias.
I guess we got them right because he let us in.
We then waited in the foyer of the the chapel that is on the temple grounds for a half hour.
Finally we lost patience (you all know how we hate putting up with people that arrive late!)
We used the last flushing toilet we would see that day and headed for Izalco (My 3rd and
favorite area where I spent 9 months.) Lynley then also began her first official count of
stray dogs. Here is a list of notable facts for the day.
Finally we lost patience (you all know how we hate putting up with people that arrive late!)
We used the last flushing toilet we would see that day and headed for Izalco (My 3rd and
favorite area where I spent 9 months.) Lynley then also began her first official count of
stray dogs. Here is a list of notable facts for the day.
84 Stray dogs (that we actually saw)
72 Living stray dogs
2 Dolly look alikes (1 healthy and 1 not so much)
4 drunks passed out on the sidewalk
3 men who couldn't wait any longer to find a bathroom (Any wall will do)
Countless pupusarias
6 missionaries
15 members visited
23 ladies with baskets or water jugs on their head
4 knock-off Crocs salesmen
1 new pair of fake Crocs for Lynley
1 Carnival
1 Catholic Procession with marching band and traveling saintly statue of Virgin
Mary going by another name.
Mary going by another name.
1 Tour of Cathedral
1 walk around local cemetery
1 really greasy order of fries
1 amazing head ache for Lynley and a refreshing drink of bagged water and
unknown pill form local member to get rid of said head ache.
unknown pill form local member to get rid of said head ache.
1 bowl of bean soup with beef and vegetable that doesn't exist in the USA.
3 trips to non-flushing ladies room
1 1/2 sheets from old dictionary to use in said Ladies Rooms (you have to keep
up on your grammar!)
up on your grammar!)
Countless squirts of anti-bacterial gel
2 tired travelers.
With Love, Danny and Lynley
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