Street life

I've been learning over the last few weeks how to maneuver through the chaos of San Salvador's streets. Every morning I take the number 52 bus to work. It's either a big school bus or a microbus, which is like a large van. The microbuses fly through the streets, grabbing passengers at each stop while yelling out their destinations. I watch out the window as we pass by shopping centers, street vendors selling pupusas, candy, juice and newspapers, traffic circles, parks and people on their way to work. The air at 8AM is already cloudy with exhaust hanging low over the city. I get off the bus at the Alcaldía stop (mayor's office) and walk 5 blocks to the CBC office. The streets in the city's center are lined with vendors. I pass by about 15 pupuserías in 5 blocks, varying from actal restaurants inside of buildings to steaming grills set up on the streets with women standing behind them flipping the cheese-stuffed tortillas. One must walk precariously, sliding by teenage boys toting wheelbarrows full of mangos, buses, CD vendors blasting Michael Jackson songs, rotting garbage and women selling bread out of baskets set up on stands on the corners. Once I finally enter the Rosario church where CBC's office is located, I can take a calm breath of relief as I look up at the strange-looking curved walls inset with rainbow-colored stained glass windows.