Hola! Our small group arrived in El Salvador this afternoon and is happily settled in Ciudad Romero. I have the honor of writing the day's blog post, and there is much to remark on, seeing as it's been a full day of meeting people, bus rides, getting a jump start on filming and equipment check...and food. Delicious food. We have also learned about the joys of composting toilets!
We left Lawrence at 3 am yesterday, in the middle of a gorgeous Kansas thunderstorm. After a short layover in Atlanta, we were off! From the moment we stepped foot in San Salvador, we have been welcomed by the Mangle and EcoViva staff. From the city, we took a bus ride to Ciudad Romero, stopping for a delicious lunch of black beans, rice, shredded beef, tortillas, and fresh aguacate (avocado). Upon arriving at the community building, we became acquainted with the staff, Aaron, Chema and Jeanne. La Coordinadora, or community building, is surrounded by mango, papaya and cashew trees. There is noise and life everywhere; in the afternoon, storm clouds and thunder was on the horizon, and we set up a GoPro camera to capture the storm. Farmers guided their cows back into town after a full day of grazing, dogs panted in the sun, chickens pecked at bugs, and families passed on the road on bicycles. I found a comfortable hammock and tried to find the breeze as I thought about the upcoming week—all the scenes to capture for our project, and all the people to interview working for a more sustainable community and world. After that, we met our host families and had dinner before heading back to La Coordinadora to hear about the workshop that our compañeros Carolina and David did with the local youth about video production and mangrove ecosystems.
All in all, it was a beautiful first day. It was so exciting to be in Latin America, practicing Spanish and eating fruit fresh off the tree. I successfully avoided the “mean” goat that is tied up in the front yard and ended the busy first day with a refreshingly cold shower. More updates to come! -Jaden Gragg
We left Lawrence at 3 am yesterday, in the middle of a gorgeous Kansas thunderstorm. After a short layover in Atlanta, we were off! From the moment we stepped foot in San Salvador, we have been welcomed by the Mangle and EcoViva staff. From the city, we took a bus ride to Ciudad Romero, stopping for a delicious lunch of black beans, rice, shredded beef, tortillas, and fresh aguacate (avocado). Upon arriving at the community building, we became acquainted with the staff, Aaron, Chema and Jeanne. La Coordinadora, or community building, is surrounded by mango, papaya and cashew trees. There is noise and life everywhere; in the afternoon, storm clouds and thunder was on the horizon, and we set up a GoPro camera to capture the storm. Farmers guided their cows back into town after a full day of grazing, dogs panted in the sun, chickens pecked at bugs, and families passed on the road on bicycles. I found a comfortable hammock and tried to find the breeze as I thought about the upcoming week—all the scenes to capture for our project, and all the people to interview working for a more sustainable community and world. After that, we met our host families and had dinner before heading back to La Coordinadora to hear about the workshop that our compañeros Carolina and David did with the local youth about video production and mangrove ecosystems.
All in all, it was a beautiful first day. It was so exciting to be in Latin America, practicing Spanish and eating fruit fresh off the tree. I successfully avoided the “mean” goat that is tied up in the front yard and ended the busy first day with a refreshingly cold shower. More updates to come! -Jaden Gragg