Bienvenidos a El Salvador!

We made it! The last two days have been packed and exhausting, but I feel like I am beginning to find my bearings. Yesterday, after a long travel day from Washington D.C. to Miami to San Salvador, we were picked up from the airport by two current Peace Corps volunteers with a giant sign that read "Welcome to your 2nd home PC13!" with signed messages from all the other current volunteers. We were then taken in an old school bus through the hills and on the main highway in El Salvador to our temporary stay in San Salvador. We are staying for two nights in a Catholic meditation retreat in the hills, right above the city where we have a beautiful view from high above. Although the humidity hit us like a brick when we got off the airplane, it is warm yet breezy and perfect temperature up here...the current volunteers still with us told us not to get used to it. Today was spent in classes, beginning medical and safety training. I got my Typhoid shot today, and began taking Malaria pills. I will have to take these pills twice a week for the next 27 months, plus 4 weeks after coming home! We are getting exposed to El Salvadoran cuisine, and have thus far had chiles rellenos, lots of beans and rice, tortillas, queso fresco, and steamed veggies. Tonight we are trying the famous nation dash--pupusas! Tomorrow we are finding the result of our Spanish test interviews conducted today--where we are placed within Nuevo Cuscatlan and with what other 2 volunteers (we are grouped with others at the same Spanish proficiency), and we will be spending tomorrow night with our host families. For the next three months we will be living with them, going to language and other basic training daily, and just trying to settle into life here, and get used to Salvadoran culture and build "confianza" within your community. Dinner time, I better get off my computer!