Into each life some rain must fall.

I't has been raining constantly for the past three days. I've been trying to keep myself busy with homework and household chores. The floor is looking nice and shiny at least. My grades in school are looking up as well. I am excited to report that I've started a garden (actually just some seeds in peat pots) and raising some baby chickens. It's something that I've always wanted to do- just never had enough free time on my hands. Some good may come out of this move after all.

We have finally met all of our neighbors. Everyone is very nice and welcoming. They have brought us all kinds of little gifts- tamales, loroco seeds for my garden, and 3 baby quails to add to my bird collection. One of the neighbors has even promised me a plaintain tree. That should be fun to grow. I wonder if they think I am some crazy American.

Before the rain we had an opportunity to get out and explore our new city- Santa Ana. It is located near the Guatemala border, about an hour from the capital. Before becoming classified, it was inhabited by the Mayans who left ruins throughout the city. It is also home to several volcanoes and a population of over 600,000- El Salvador's second largest city.  I've seen pictures of the Santa Ana Cathedral and had to go see it for myself. It was built in the early 1900's and is still in surprisingly good condition. There is a group dedicated to the restoration of the church that operates completely off of donations. Restoration is currently stalled due to lack of contribution. The architecture is amazing. It is an old Spanish Gothic style building, still up and running. Burning candles line the isles with pictures of loved ones propped up against them. A little old lady walks around selling rosary beads and other religious paraphernalia. When the bells ring in the tower it sends a majestic sort of echo throughout the church. Pigeons soar through the cathedrals arches and nest in the stone crevices. My son had a good time chasing the flocks and watching them scatter. 

      

Here are some more pictures of the architecture in Santa Ana. During the late 19th century Santa Ana was situated on the heart of the coffee region. Ash from a recently erupted volcano make the land extremely fertile and one of the best places to grow crops. For a time, the city was the largest and the richest in the entire country. This flow of money enabled the city to build masterpieces like the cathedral, the theatre, and the municipal palace (below).

We also had a chance to get to the pool in our community. It was very refreshing after a long hot day with no AC!