Mom and Han visit!

My sister and mom came to hang out with me in El Salvador!

It was all in all a good time, and it was fun to show them around and open their eyes to some of the marvels as well as idiosyncrasies of this place.  While they didn't see a lot of the country because of how long everything takes to get to as well as our shared fear of buses, I think they did get close up and personalized view life here, which made for a pretty unique experience.   I don't have a lot of Salvadoran friends here, but the ones I do have were extremely welcoming and accomodating towards my visitors.  My coworkers threw them a combined "bienvenida/birthday party/despedida" (because it happened to be the day before they left), complete with an ice cream cake.  I was sure to point out that they didn't get me an ice cream cake on my birthday. 

Another experience that was surely a highlight for them was getting to attend a Salvadoran baby shower held at my office...complete with games involving fake babies.  Here is a photo of the director of the ministry explaining to the mother-to-be how labor works.  Not explaining....rather, demonstrating.  She got really scared looking.  It was one of the most ridiculously funny things I've seen.

Hmm, I think I have another photo where she does actually look terrified but I can't find it.

 

 Let's see...what else?  We went to Perquin and to the guerrilla camp part of the museum that I hadn't been to before.  It was pretty cool. 

Here's Han climbing down into the guerrilla tunnel.

And here's me.  I look braver.

 

Here's me putting calamine lotion on all of Han's mosquito bites, just like I did when we were little and she had chicken pox.  Awww...

Another memorable event was that my mom and I both got briefly, though violently, ill during the trip.  Since we both got better I figured it was nothing, however, my roommate just found out he has (and has had for a while) salmonella.  I may go in for a check-up just to make sure.

My sister and I discovered that we are really good at doing karaoke duets, in Spanish...ha.  Who would have thought that my pueblo where everything closes at 4pm would have a karaoke place, and right by my house??  We made sure to take advantage of it and went twice.  The second time was their last night in Gotera, and also the last night for the Spanish kids who have been here for the past 2 months. Here's a photo tribute to them: 

Me, Hannah, Albert, Gemma and Irene.