El Salvador Impressions

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This is my third time in El Salvador. The first two times were January and June of last year. My, how things have changed.

It's hard to imagine a place can change so quickly, but first impressions of El Salvador are pretty good so far.

First, there's the new terminal at the airport. It's modern, clean and nicer than the other terminals that I flew into last time.

Second, there's building going on everywhere. Just on my ride to my hotel, I saw construction all over the place. Whether it's new hotels, gas stations, or resorts, there's clearly a building boom going on. I saw an amusement park which opened in the last year with modern rides. Lots of cars were lined up outside it and the street food scene nearby reminded me of Asia.

Third, there's a lot of entrepreneurs. The streets are filled with people selling all kinds of stuff. Last time I was here, they were mostly selling fruit. They've expanded to beachwear, cell phone services, and even full blown restaurants on the side of the road.

Even the road itself is freshly paved, there are way more billboards on the side of the road and better manicured property.

It's hard to believe that so much can progress in a single year, but that's what it looks like. The fiat rot is all pervasive and removing it seems to have supercharged this place.