Day 1: 20 billion hours

The Titans Abroad had A VERY long day, beginning in the wee hours of 2 AM and ending 22 hours later. After arriving in Houston, we had to wait an hour for our delayed plane. We got to San Salvador and smoothly passed through customs without any major complications. 

After meeting  with Andres, our bold and fearless local leader, we drove through a slightly impoverished mountain region to introduce us to the culture and take us to our retreat house. Along the side of the road, there were huts made of sheet metal and sticks, as well as malnourished people and animals. There were a large amount of free roaming cows, surprisingly thinner than our American cows. Some even impeded our path. Having wound our way through the mountains, we arrived at the retreat house and were promptly served a delicious lunch of chicken and rice and pineapple juice. 

After lunch, we traveled through the wealthier part of San Salvador  and visited the catacombs where the tomb of Oscar Romero lies. The traffic in the city was hectic, with people weaving in and out of each other very precariously. There was a market with a plethora of unique stands selling everything from bug zappers to underwear. 

We spent a short amount of time in the tomb, paying our respects to Archbishop Romero, then trekked to the cathedral above.  The cathedral featured a vast amount of stained glass, an ornate tabernacle, and even a reliquary. It was filled with people, more than we would expect for the late afternoon.  

After the cathedral, we wove our way through town (spotting a giant swimming pool along the way), and managed to return to the retreat house. We got together on the basketball court to play some soccer; the team of Robert DiSalle, Shohan Shetty, Bilal Yassine, and Stephen Wainz won the tournament, earning some bragging rights. The night was finished off with a scrumptious dinner and a reflection of the day's events.

Overall, we both were shocked by the culture, but are excited to experience more.

We hope everyone at home is doing well and we look forward to sharing our travels with you again tomorrow.

Jake Hasselbach and Rob DiSalle