SAN SALVADOR, EL SALVADOR!
OKAY I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE THINKING: ISN'T EL SALVADOR A DANGEROUS COUNTR? WELL YEAH. THE
U.S GOVERNMENT ADVISES ME TO RECONSIDER TRAVEL DUE TO CRIME. BUT I WENT ANYWAY. IN THE PAST FEW YEARS
IT'S BECOMING EASIER FOR TOURISTS TO VISIT AND MORE SAFE BUT OF COURSE JUST LIKE ANYWHERE YOU GO
ALWAYS BE CAREFUL AND SMART. I'VE GIVEN MYSELF A BUDGET OF JUST $40 TODAY AND LET ME JUST TELL YOU,
THIS IS ONE OF THE CHEAPEST COUNTRIES I'VE VISITED AS SOMEONE WHO'S HOLDING US DOLLARS AND
WHAT'S CRAZY IS THAT U.S DOLLAR IS THEIR OFFICIAL CURRENCY HERE. 20 YEARS AGO THE COUNTRY SWITCHED
OVER TO EXCLUSIVELY USING THE US DOLLAR AND RECENTLY MANY BUSINESSES STARTED ACCEPTING BITCOIN
AS LEGAL TENDER YOU WILL SEE SIGNS EVERYWHERE THAT ACCEPT BITCOIN TODAY I'M EXPLORING THREE
DIFFERENT PARTS OF EL SALVADOR THE BEACH THE CAPITAL CITY AND ENDING IN A SMALLER TOWN WITH
A TON OF CHARACTER EL SALVADOR IS A SMALL COUNTRY WHICH IS SOUTH OF MEXICO AND GUATEMALA AND HAS A
POPULATION OF JUST 6.5 MILLION PEOPLE I'M STARTING MY DAY IN THIS SMALL SURF TOWN CALLED EL TUNCO
I FIND THIS COOL COFFEE SHOP THIS SIGN IS OFFERING YOU 75 OFF ANYTHING ON THE MENU AT THIS CAFE ONLY
IF YOU PAY IN BITCOIN BECAUSE I'M ON A BUDGET OF COURSE I'M GONNA GET A COFFEE FROM HERE SO WHY
ARE THEY INCENTIVIZING US TO PAY BY BITCOIN WELL THERE IS AN APP CALLED STRIKE THAT IS PROMOTING
THE USE OF ITS APP AND THE USE OF BITCOIN SO THAT APP WILL ACTUALLY PAY RESTAURANTS BACK FOR THAT 75
DISCOUNT SO THAT COMPANY WILL ACTUALLY PAY THE RESTAURANT FOR THAT 75 DISCOUNT CHAI TEA LATTE
FROM A COOL CAFE FOUR DOLLARS BUT IF YOU PAY WITH BITCOIN ONE DOLLAR NEXT I HEAD TO THE OCEAN
FOR AN OCEAN SWIM THE WATER TEMPERATURE AND AIR TEMPERATURE IS PERFECT AND THE WAVES ARE AWESOME
THESE AREN'T THE NICEST BEACHES BUT THEY DO HAVE A LOT OF CHARACTER AND I THINK I WANT TO GO FOR A
SWIM SWIMMING IN THE OCEAN FREE TODAY I RENTED A CAR THE CAR RENTAL FOR ME COST 25 OKAY THAT'S NOT
BAD FOR A CAR RENTAL BUT YEAH THAT WILL TAKE UP MORE THAN HALF OF MY BUDGET FOR THE ENTIRE DAY SO
I DRIVE TO SAN SALVADOR WHICH IS THE CAPITAL CITY OF THE COUNTRY SOMEONE TELLS ME THAT A FEW YEARS
AGO IT WOULD BE VERY UNSAFE AND VERY DANGEROUS TO WALK AROUND HERE BUT NOW THINGS HAVE CHANGED THIS
PLACE IS FULL OF AMERICAN CHAINS FROM MCDONALD'S TO DENNY'S SO I HEAD TO THIS AREA CALLED OLD TOWN
THIS IS DEFINITELY ONE OF THOSE PLACES THAT HAS BEEN IMPACTED BY THE PANDEMIC THEY HAVE NOT SEEN
A FULL REBOUND TO TOURISM YET YOU CAN JUST KIND OF TELL AND ALSO SOME PEOPLE TOLD ME THAT AS WELL
SO YOU HAVE A LOT OF PLACES THAT ARE CLOSED BUT I ALSO HEAR THAT AT NIGHT IT LIGHTS UP A LOT MORE
THE ENERGY HERE IS COOL AND I WALK INTO THIS CHURCH TO ENTER THE CHURCH TWO DOLLARS FROM
THE OUTSIDE THIS LOOKS LIKE A REALLY OLD KIND OF ABANDONED BUILDING BUT ONCE YOU GO INSIDE IT IS
ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL IT'S NOT HUGE BY ANY MEANS BUT I HONESTLY HAVE TO SAY IT'S ONE OF THE MOST
BEAUTIFUL CHURCHES I'VE EVER BEEN INSIDE IT SORT OF REMINDS ME OF SAGRADA FAMILIA BUT OF COURSE ON
A MUCH SMALLER SCALE HIGHLY RECOMMEND VISITING OVERALL THIS IS REALLY BEAUTIFUL AND A MUST-SEE
I WALK AROUND THE AREA AND SEE A LOT OF LOCALS BUYING AND SELLING THINGS THIS MARKET IS TOTALLY
CHAOTIC BUT FUN THIS PLACE IS HUGE EVERYWHERE YOU LOOK IS ANOTHER EXTENSION TO THE MARKET IT'S
DEFINITELY THE PLACE TO COME AND EXPERIENCE AT LEAST FOR THE CULTURE BUT ALSO FOR SHOPPING TOO
I SEE THIS SUPER INTERESTING LOOKING FRUIT IT'S CALLED HIKAMA APPARENTLY THIS FRUIT IS KIND OF
A CROSSOVER BETWEEN A PEAR AND A POTATO OH AND THEY ALSO DRENCH THESE SPICES AND SAUCES ON TOP
OF IT I ASKED FOR A FORK BUT SHE SAYS NO YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO EAT IT WITH YOUR HANDS AND THE WOMAN
MAKES IT CLEAR TO ME THAT THIS FRUIT IS ONLY IN EL SALVADOR AND NOT AVAILABLE IN MEXICO SHE SAID
I'M A LITTLE BIT NERVOUS TO EAT THIS I DON'T FULLY KNOW WHAT SHE PUT ON IT BUT LET'S GIVE IT A TRY
IT TASTES KIND OF LIKE AN APPLE AND A MELON COMBINED THE PRICE OF THAT IS 50 CENTS IT WAS
GOOD HAD A LITTLE KICK TO IT BUT PERSONALLY I LIKE THINGS A LITTLE BIT JUST MORE RAW I DIDN'T
NEED ALL THOSE SPICES AND SAUCES AND IT WAS DEFINITELY A LITTLE BIT MESSY TOO UNFORTUNATELY
BUT DEFINITELY WORTH TRYING I WALK AROUND SOME MORE THROUGH THE MARKET AND THEN I FIND THIS
LITTLE RESTAURANT WHERE THE FOOD LOOKS SUPER AUTHENTIC AND HOMEMADE I ORDER A PLACE OF RICE
AND THIS PANCAKE LOOKING FOOD WITH SPINACH AND SHRIMP AND SOME MIXED VEGETABLES THEN I ORDERED
THIS TAMARIND JUICE WHICH TASTES DELICIOUS AN EL SALVADORIAN LUNCH PLUS A TAMARIND DRINK THREE
DOLLARS FIFTY CENTS THIS IS DELICIOUS NOT ONLY IS THIS DELICIOUS BUT I GOT A LIVE BAND OVER THERE
SAN SALVADOR IS A REALLY COOL TOWN IT'S ALMOST TWO O'CLOCK AND I WANNA SEE OTHER PARTS OF EL SALVADOR
SO I'M GONNA HOP IN THE CAR AND HEAD TO SOMEWHERE NEW AFTER AN HOUR DRIVE I ARRIVED TO SANTA ANA
THIS IS THE SECOND LARGEST CITY IN EL SALVADOR THIS PLACE IS SUPPOSED TO BE FAMOUS FOR ITS COFFEE
SO I FIND THIS COFFEE SHOP ON GOOGLE ONE THING TO NOTE IS THIS PLACE IS REALLY HIGH SECURITY MANY OF
THE BUSINESSES ACTUALLY KEEP THEIR DOORS LOCKED EVEN DURING BUSINESS HOURS BUT AFTER KNOCKING
THEY LET ME IN AND I WAS SURPRISED TO SEE IT'S A VIBRANT COFFEE SHOP THIS PLACE BELIEVES STRONGLY
IN HUMAN CONNECTION SO THEY PURPOSELY TURNED OFF THE WI-FI AND ENCOURAGED PEOPLE TO PLAY GAMES
OR HAVE CONVERSATIONS I ORDER A CUP OF COFFEE AND A DOLCE DE LECHE CHEESECAKE DOLCE DE LECHE IS
SUPER DELICIOUS AND VERY COMMON IN SOUTH AMERICA IT'S CONSIDERED KIND OF LIKE CARAMELIZED MILK IT'S
MY FAVORITE AND I RARELY SEE IT IN OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD INCLUDING THE US ACORTO DITO COFFEE
WITH ONE SHOT OF ESPRESSO AND A DOLCE DE LECHE CHEESECAKE SIX DOLLARS THIS COFFEE SHOP'S NAME
IS A BLEND OF THEIR TWO LAST NAMES THE OWNERS OF THE COFFEE SHOP SO YOUR LAST NAME IS CASTRO
SO THE NAME OF THE COFFEE SHOP THIS NEIGHBORHOOD IS SUPER COOL LOTS OF DIFFERENT COLORS LOTS OF
CHARACTER LOTS OF REALLY NICE PEOPLE I'VE NOTICED BUT IT IS INTERESTING THAT EVERY WINDOW I SEE
IS COMPLETELY COVERED WITH METAL BARS SO TO ME THAT SAYS THAT IN THE PAST I DON'T KNOW ABOUT
NOWADAYS BUT IN THE PAST AT LEAST YOU KNOW MAYBE IT WAS VERY DANGEROUS OR THE CRIME RATE WAS HIGH
BUT IT'S ODD BECAUSE IT FEELS REALLY SAFE AND PEOPLE SEEM REALLY FRIENDLY IT'S NOW NIGHT TIME
HERE IN THIS TOWN AND I'M GONNA GO FIND WHAT THERE IS TO DO SO LET'S GO BY NOW IT'S GETTING DARK I
SEE THIS RESTAURANT THAT LOOKS VERY AUTHENTIC SO I GIVE IT A TRY YOU WON'T SEE MANY TOURISTS
IN THIS PART OF THE COUNTRY AND IT'S MOSTLY LOCALS EATING AT THE RESTAURANT THIS RESTAURANT IS SUPER
COOL IT FEELS SUPER AUTHENTIC AND I'M PRETTY SURE THAT IT'S ALSO SOMEBODY'S HOUSE BECAUSE YOU HAVE
A BUNCH OF BEDROOMS THAT SAY DO NOT ENTER AND I'M BLOCKED OFF AND THEN YOU HAVE KIND OF A ROOM HERE
SO COOL FEELS LIKE I'M ACTUALLY HAVING DINNER AT SOMEONE'S HOUSE IN EL SALVADOR ON THIS SIDEWALK
THIS LADY IS MAKING PUPUSAS PUPUSAS ARE THE NATIONAL DISH OF EL SALVADOR THEY KIND OF REMIND
ME OF A PANCAKE OR FLATBREAD AND THEY'RE MADE USING CORNMEAL OR RICE FLOUR AND THEY'RE FILLED
WITH INGREDIENTS THAT YOU CHOOSE THAT CAN INCLUDE BEANS CHEESE PUMPKIN CARROT OR CHICKEN I DECIDE TO
GET TWO WHICH TOTALLY FILLS ME UP TWO PAPOOSAS AND ONE BEER THREE DOLLARS YES ONLY THREE DOLLARS FOR
DINNER WHICH MIGHT BE A RECORD FOR CHEAP DINNERS I'VE EVER HAD SO I DID IT I SPENT 40 DOLLARS IN EL
SALVADOR IN ONE DAY AND I GOT TO EXPERIENCE THREE VERY DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE COUNTRY A
COUNTRY THAT I ADMITTEDLY KNEW NOTHING ABOUT CHECK OUT HOW I SPEND MY CASH BUDGET IN OTHER
PLACES AROUND THE WORLD FROM BALI TO TURKEY AND NEW YORK FIND ME ON INSTAGRAM AND TIKTOK @UPTIN