“Parang Pinas lang,tih!” Yan gyud una ko naisip nung naglakad2x na ako around San Salvador City.

In a good way though, kase saktong kaulion napud ko ato na time. Running 30 days na ako sa travel, I needed something familiar and San Salvador gave me that. First thing, parang Pinas lang ilang main road. Parang Davao. Parang San Pedro Street to be precise, with Palengke sa dulo and Church naman sa kabila, with road repairs din, Ukay2x stores and BBQ kiosks everywhere. Tas yung mga sound system na stores, naga loop play ng Blackpink playlist. Oh di ba?

Here below features a karinderia-like set up along the street. oh diba parang Pinas lang? katulogon pa si Anteh.

Many of the food choices are also quite familiar, with obvious Hispanic influence. Madaming dishes na masarsa at ginisa. Afritada is a common thing, as well as chorizo. Compared sa Mexico na mas common ang tacos at corn tamales at bread/tortilla, mas ramdam ko ang rice supremacy dito sa Central America.

Never ako nagutom sa San Salvador (in fact, sa buong Latin America naman). Food is affordable.

They also have Leche Flan. lol

San Salvador also uses a Jeepney-like vehicle as mode of transportation. They call it chicken bus. If this is not your thing of transport, Uber app naman is reliable sa El Salvador.

More views around San Salvador, the Capital City of El Salvador.

The main cathedral of San Salvador City, opposite the National Palace and public park.

During my visit, San Salvador was busy doing retrofits and beautification of their colonial district, in preparation for the Miss Universe Pageant. This was from November 2023, during Michelle Dee’s time.

I didn’t get to see the girls though. Pero ramdam ko ang Miss Universe fever. The El Salvadoreans are soo into it.

Here’s something fun and new (at least para sa akin). They sell purified water on plastic pouches. Complete with brand and all. Plastic was quite tough to tear. More environmental? You tell me.

I’ve also noticed the adoration of El Salvadorean to their current President/First Family. Dun lang ako nakakita ng ref magnets with the face of President Nayib Bukele. Perhaps we can make something like this for BBM as well?

Pasalubong purchases. Dito ako sa San Salvador Namili ng most of the food that I can take back home. Mura Sa El Salvador. Presyong Pinas, in my opinion. They use USD as Currency so no need to exchange na din. I bought nuts, as well as lots of Tablea (Hot Choco). 1 Dollar lang eh.

I stayed in San Salvador for 3 nights. It was my last latin city stop before I headed back to the US. Supposedly may Guatemala pa, which is only 4 hours from San Salvador by bus. Kaso the time I went, nagkaroon ng people power o civil war of some sort. As advised by some friends, kinancel ko na ang Guatemala leg of the trip, and spent more days na lang in Los Angeles, which is up next.