What a long strange trip. Many many times during my El Salvadorian trip I have been left scratching my head wondering what happened here. Its the surreal El Salvador. Some examples:

• Manhole Covers – Would you believe I saw some manhole covers in Usulutan which said “Walbash, Indiana” on them? Initially it looked as if these were made for the streets of Walbash, but not I think they could have just been made in Walbash and distributed elsewhere. Who knows. I would have expected to see manhole covers marked as “Usulutan” rather than Walbash.
• Trucks with English Writing – On at least 2 occasions I saw trucks with English markings on them indicating they were from the states. Such as the truck I saw in the heart of Usulutan which had a furniture markings on it indicating it was from Virginia. Makes me wonder how and why this US truck made it to this El Salvadorian town. Driven through Mexico? Dropped off from a boat?
• Girls in Easter Dresses – Here we are the “rich” Americans wearing borrowed clothes and scrubs….trying not to sweat to much in the heat….while the Usulutanians are wearing their best clothing….dressing their children up in Easter dresses in order to make a good impression on the doctor. Going to see the doctor for the first time? Wear your best clothes, even if the medical care is free. What they don’t realize it that Easter dresses don’t make an impression on us. Rather it just comes across as strange.
• TV Antennas from Shacks – This must be the El Salvadorian equivalent of satellite dishes in mobile home parks. Can’t afford a decent home? No problem. Just get some electricity to your shack and find a TV. Do TVs come that cheap or is affordable permanent housing that expensive?
• Strange Currencies – I’d halfway expect to see local currency in El Salvador. Not so. I only saw dollars. Dirty US coins. When we came across a peso or whatever they have, it is a novelty to us because it rarely happened. Yep, they used our currency. They drove on the same side of the road as us. If I didn’t know better, I would have forgotten I was in another country and could have imagine I was in some depreciated part of South Central LA. El Salvador is a dirty little country and probably is a testimony to what the US could have been if it had not rose the living standards in the 1800s.
• Animal Farm – Similar to the movie 12 Monkeys, the animals roam the streets. Cows at the bus station. Pigs on the streets. While having a Bible Study in someone’s home, it is not unusual to see a chicken run through the house.
• I Wish I Was in Dixie – On the top of our tour bus, I noticed there was a painted rebel flag. You never can go too far from the south. KnowWhatImean, Vern?

El Salvador is indeed a strange place. At times I forgot I was in another country and thought this was some weird strange Dr. Suess parable.