Holy Week in El Salvador

So its Holy Week again here in El Salvador, a time known for tamales pisques, ripe mangoes, torrejas, alfombras, cicadas and immense heat.  Since Holy Week this year fell later than normal and it rained a few times in February and March, the cicadas are almost all gone, but pretty much everything else on that list is all over the place.

In El Salvador, most people get at least two or three days, if not the whole week off of work.  In the NGO world, we get the whole week off work.  Many Salvadorans use this time to go to the beach and visit family.  Since everyone is flocking to the beach, especially these last few days, that is the one place we have not gone.  However, I think we have taken advantage of our vacation in other ways. Here is how.

1) Bajo Lempa.  We headed out to the Lower Lempa region of the country on Saturday and stayed until Monday.  This visit was characterized more than anything by an excessive amount of heat and mangoes.  Though the highlight of the visit for me was a trip to the Lempa River.  My dad asked me if the river was clean and I responded: "Is the Ohio River clean? No. Do we still swim in it? Yes." Though since it hasn't rained much yet, at least the river looked pretty clean.  Trying not to think about water contamination, this was an awesome experience.  Alejandro laughed hysterically as he splashed around the water wearing nothing but a big hat.  As we left we realized that thanks to river currents and the hydro-electric dam upstream, the water had risen and it had swept away Alejandro's new sandals.  Still didn't ruin the experience though.  Check out these pictures of Cesar in the mango tree, Alejandro eating a mango with our friend Vilma and of Cesar and Alejandro in the river.

Cesar getting the mangoes out of the tree

eating the mango

Alejandro and Cesar in the Lempa River

2) San Salvador volcano. This was a favorite activity of mine when I was pregnant because the volcano is elevated enough that you escape the suffocating heat of April. Its also close enough that you can go for a few hours, have some coffee and come back down. Alejandro and I went with our friends Guiselle and Amelia.  I keep saying, the only thing cuter than one baby is two babies! Check out the two of them checking out this fountain. (I swear Alejandro was trying to say "agua" while we were looking at it. Guiselle agreed, but he has not said it since, so maybe not.)

Amelia and Alejandro

3) Doing nothing at home. Another popular activity that Salvadorans partake in during Holy Week.  This has been kind of nice. Except for the volcano visit, this has been our lives since Monday afternoon.  It has given me the chance to make pepper dip from the 40 sweet peppers I brought back from the Bajo Lempa. I also experimented with tomatillos and made soup. Mostly its been nice to spend time with Cesar and Alejandro and not have a billion other things to do.

4) Go to Tepecoyo.  We are heading out this afternoon. This part of our trip we will experience the torrejas, tamales pisques and alfombra part of Holy Week, in addition to spending time with Cesar's family.  Torrejas are kind of like Salvadoran french toast and everyone eats them during Holy Week. I don't know why.  Tamales pisques are bean filled tamales. I DO know why people eat them this week. Apparently you are not supposed to kill animals during Holy Week so the tamales are filled with beans instead of chicken.  Alfombras are giant sand murals that are made on Good Friday in the streets of various towns in the Western part of El Salvador.  Often they depict part of the stations of the cross.  In Tepecoyo all the different neighborhoods and streets make them. They spend all day working on them using colored sand and lots of volunteers.  At night when the stations of the cross procession passes through the town, they walk over the alfombras completely destroying them. Since we haven't gone yet, I don't have a picture. But I am adding one of the alfombra we worked on in 2008.

So that is my Holy Week. Very different from Easter in the States where we paint eggs and eat chocolate bunnies.  Both very interesting ways to end Lent and commemorate the crucifixion and resurrection. If you want to read an amazing reflection on Holy Week and El Salvador, I invite you to read these reflections written last year in the mark of Romero week.

Happy Easter!