Choose Adventure

Safely Navigating the Challenges of Third World Travel

Travel Log- El Salvador
Travel Log- El Salvador 620 465 Greg Ellifritz

*My Travel Log series describes various past travel adventures and provides perspective about living and traveling in different countries.  This particular segment covers a trip to El Salvador in December of 2016.

 

I spent last week vacationing in El Salvador.  Most of you are questioning my sanity right now.  Why go to El Salvador?  The country has the highest murder rate in the world when comparing countries not involved in a civil wars.  It doesn’t get a lot of tourism.

 

I went to El Salvador because it was the last Latin American country that I had not yet visited.  I’ve been to all of the other Latin countries in South and Central America.  I picked El Salvador solely to check it off my list.  I think it’s pretty cool to have visited all the countries in Latin America (except Venezuela.  That one is too dangerous, even for me).

 

El Salvador was surprisingly nice.  We landed there after a five-hour flight.  The airport was modern and clean.  We breezed through immigration and customs in only a few minutes and found our bags were already moving down the baggage claim conveyor belt on our arrival.

 

We pre-booked transportation to our hotel and found our driver waiting outside for us.  We drove about 45 minutes to a small surf town called El Tunco on the Pacific coast.  El Tunco is literally a two street town.  Everyone walks.  The only thing the town is known for is its excellent surf and nighttime party scene.  Most of the occupants of the town were surfers.  Rich Salvadorans filled up the few hotels on the weekends looking for a fun party/vacation spot.

 

We stayed in El Tunco for four days, relaxing on the black sand beach, swimming in the ocean, surfing, and eating lots of great local food.  El Salvador is known for its pupusas.  A pupusa is a soft corn tortilla stuffed with cheese, meat, or vegetables.  Think of them like thin corn Hot Pockets.  Everyone eats pupusas as their favorite snack food or as a dinner meal.  Street vendors sold three pupusas for a dollar.  The more upscale restaurants charged 75 cents to a dollar each.  We stuffed ourselves with pupusas daily and never spent more than $10 for two people (including drinks).  When we got sick of pupusas, we ate lots of great local fresh seafood.

 

One of our typical dinners. Pupusas and drinks for less than $10.

One of our typical dinners. Pupusas and drinks for less than $10.

 

After El Tunco, we spent two more days in the capital city of San Salvador.  We walked the city, visited some museums and handicrafts markets, and ate lots more cheap and awesome tasting local food.  One day we hired a local tour guide who gave us an all-day tour of the city as well as drove us to several national parks to climb volcanoes.  All in all, it was a great trip.

 

Volcanic crater lake outside of San Salvador.

Volcanic crater lake outside of San Salvador.

 

The “danger” of El Salvador is grossly overstated.  We had absolutely no problems at all.  Even though the murder rate there leads the world, I never felt a hint of trouble.  Subjectively, El Salvador felt much safer than many other countries I’ve visited.

 

Lunch at a local market. Seafood soup. Whole crab, shrimp, clams, and about 1/2 a pound of fish. $4.00

Lunch at a local market. Seafood soup. Whole crab, shrimp, clams, and about 1/2 a pound of fish. $4.00

 

The violence the country is experiencing is (like in America) primarily related to drug trafficking and gangs.  If you aren’t trying to score drugs or provoke the gangsters, the chance you will be victimized is relatively minimal.  I spoke to several locals about the issue.  They all told me that most tourists get a “pass” from the local gang members.  The gangsters know that tourists bring an infusion of cash into the poor country (average wage there is around $300 a month).   They also know that killing tourists will bring a heavy police crackdown.  As long as the tourist isn’t doing something incredibly stupid, or acting impaired by alcohol or drugs, the relative risk or robbery and assault are very low.

 

I would have absolutely no problem recommending El Salvador as a tourist destination for any experienced traveler.  It’s remarkably safe in comparison to many other Latin countries.  English isn’t widely spoken and there isn’t a huge tourist infrastructure.  Having a passing competency in Spanish and the willingness to interact with the locals will help immeasurably should you choose to visit.  We found the Salvadorans to be incredibly friendly.  Almost everyone we passed smiled and greeted us warmly.  The people were courteous and polite to a fault.

 

The cops down there consisted of National Police, local police, and tourist police.  They all wore sharp black BDU uniforms and nylon gunbelts.  Most cops carried third generation Smith and Wesson autopistols (model 5906) in Uncle Mikes “twist draw” level three security holsters.  A few cops carried CZ-75 pistols in generic nylon drop leg holsters.  The majority of cops had no spare magazines, Tasers, or pepper spray.  Most carried PR-24 batons and handcuffs.  Often, the tourist police officers carried only the baton.

 

Police station in El Tunco. The cops here work out of a cell with no air conditioning.

Police station in El Tunco. The cops here work out of a cell with no air conditioning.

 

I only saw a couple of cops carrying long guns.  We passed a truckload of gang suppression police riding in the back of a pickup truck, likely heading to a raid of some type in the city of La Libertad.  The cops all had their faces covered with balaclavas and had rifles (Galils and FALs).  Public transportation and national monuments were also patrolled by members of the Salvadoran military.  They wore camouflage BDUs and carried Beretta 92 pistols and M16 or CAR-15 rifles.  The general consensus among the locals was that the local police were rarely corrupt.  Most could not be bribed to get out of a traffic infraction.  The locals said that occasionally there would be stories of high ranking police officers working in concert with members of the drug gangs, but most folks said that the local street cops treated people fairly.

 

Soldiers patrolling a San Salvador bus stop,

Soldiers patrolling a San Salvador bus stop.

 

El Salvadoran citizens can own guns, but a relatively small number of “normal” residents actually own firearms.  The people I spoke with said that the high cost of guns (Glocks were reportedly about $900) was the main reason few people purchased them.  Not many folks will pay three months’ salary to buy a reliable handgun.  Locals also told us that there is also no history of a “gun culture” in the country like there is in the USA, leading to a lack of desire to be armed.

 

Citizens are limited to buying one gun every two years.  A permit is required to own a gun.  Residents stated that the permit process involved a background check, medical evaluation, and competency test.  The people we talked to said that the permit process to own a gun was fairly rigorous and expensive.  Getting a permit to carry the gun is even harder, with some type of demonstrated “need” for the gun required.  Reportedly only security guards and wealthy business owners get carry permits.

 

The security guard population was incredible.  Every single business, restaurant, hotel, and apartment complex had its own armed security guard.  About 75% of the guards carried slung pistol gripped pump shotguns (Remingtons and Winchesters).  Most had horrible muzzle awareness.  I think I was flagged by shotgun muzzles at least 50 times on the short trip.  Many of the shotguns were slung in such a manner that they would be impossible to quickly use.  I only saw one guard with spare ammo.  He had a bandoleer of low brass Federal #7 1/2 birdshot.

 

Guard carrying a slung pistol gripped shotgun outside of San Salvador restaurant.

Guard carrying a slung pistol gripped shotgun outside of San Salvador restaurant.

 

The other 25% of guards had handguns, mostly Smith and Wesson K-frame revolvers.  I also saw a couple of Beretta 92s and one 1911 (carried hammer down).  There were guns everywhere!  I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if many of El Salvador’s “murders” were actually negligent discharges!

 

Literally "riding shotgun" San Salvador

Literally “riding shotgun” San Salvador

 

That’s about it.  Nothing more to report.  We had a relaxing holiday in El Salvador and would definitely go back again.  If you are considering El Salvador as a tourist destination, please let me know.  I can get you the contact information for our amazing English speaking local tourist guide.

 

 

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US Immigration Pre-Clearance
US Immigration Pre-Clearance 738 496 Greg Ellifritz

Did you know that when leaving some countries, you go through US customs and immigration at your departure airport?  It’s called “Pre-Clearance.”

 

I first experienced this on a trip to Aruba in 2018.  Travelers ending up in the United States go through the American customs and immigration procedures BEFORE their departure.

 

There are some advantages to this system.  You won’t be stuck in those massive lines for immigrations when your plane lands in the USA.  There are usually shorter lines at your departure airport than there would be when 10 planeloads of tourists arrive at the same time in the USA and there are only three US Customs officers manning the check in booths.

 

If you are traveling from one of the pre-cleared countries, you will have to take note.  Please get to the airport at least three hours before your flight to allow for the customs process to take place.  Your plane will then land at one of the domestic airport gates on its arrival to the USA.  That allows you to book tighter connections than you could if you had to go through customs on arrival.

 

There are currently 16 worldwide airports that do per-clearance.  Four more are opening up this year.  Read more about the program in the article below.  For what it’s worth, I think the program saves travelers a lot of time and hassles.  I’m absolutely in favor of its expansion.

US Immigration Pre-Clearance Is Landing In 4 More Countries

 

The Philippine Bullet Scam
The Philippine Bullet Scam 1263 500 Greg Ellifritz

Headed to the Philippines?

 

There is a high dollar bribery scam that has been executed against tourists at the Manila airport.  It doesn’t say so in the article, but I would guess that shooters might be seeing the brunt of it.  If you have bags with shooting logo or shooting gear, it might not be a far stretch for some customs official to plant some illegal bullets in your bag.  Be the gray man when you travel.  Don’t have any gun-related attire or gear anywhere on your person or in your bags.

 

How to Protect Yourself from the Airport Bullet Scam

 

And with regard to the Philippines, watch this nasty method used by criminals there to steal your phone (opens to Facebook video).

Solo Travel Mistakes
Solo Travel Mistakes 1000 750 Greg Ellifritz

The majority of my travels are solo or with just one other person.  Solo travel is significantly more difficult than traveling with a larger group.  It’s easy to screw things up.

 

The article below is a good description of the most common solo travel mistakes.  If you travel by yourself, it would be a good read.

 

The Biggest Mistakes Solo Travellers Make

 

 

Dealing with Cat-Calls
Dealing with Cat-Calls 620 465 Greg Ellifritz

For my female readers, how do you deal with catcalling men?  This article provides some options.

 

10 Ways To Make A Cat-Calling Experience More Enjoyable (Less Creepy)

 

This article provides some alternate strategies as well.

 

Both article are primarily concerned with catcalling observed when the female victim is traveling in a foreign country, but the techniques may also be useful here at home.

 

My only advice would to be especially cautious about insulting the cat caller.  In some cultures (especially outside the USA and Western Europe), there is minimal stigma about a man hitting a woman.  If you insult someone, there’s a possibility that you may get smacked

Assessing Neighborhood Safety- Gang Graffiti
Assessing Neighborhood Safety- Gang Graffiti 480 640 Greg Ellifritz

In my book Choose Adventure- Safe Travel in Dangerous Places I have a section of advice discussing how to assess whether an area is “safe” or not in a foreign country.  I wrote:

 

“Given the massive differences in culture, customs, and income, how can you tell if the neighborhood you are visiting is safe or not?  These guidelines may be pretty basic, but using them will give you a quick assessment of your relative safety in any neighborhood in the world:

            1) Are there lots of armed guards?

2) Do the properties seem to be run down or uncared for?

3) Are people in the area walking in pairs or small groups rather than walking alone?

4) Is there a lot of graffiti present on the walls?

5) Are there obvious security measures (like broken glass embedded atop walls, electric fences, barbed wire, etc.) present?

6) Are there lots of people are aimlessly “hanging out” in the street?

 

If you answer “yes” to most of these questions, you may not be in the world’s safest place.  It’s time to move on.

 

Beyond looking at these six factors, take a second and observe your environment to get a subjective “feel” for the location.  Is there more order or disorder?  Broken windows, graffiti, trash, fireworks, and items out of place are all signs of disorder.  Recent criminological studies have shown that there is a corresponding increase in crime as disorder increases.”

 

I’m living in Mexico right now.  I was reminded of this passage as I was walking around my neighborhood.

 

I’m renting a condo in a very nice and secure building in Playa del Carmen.  My neighborhood is fine, but I’m right on the boundary between the “tourist area” and the area where the locals live.

 

I’ve discussed transitional areas before.  One block away from my condo is the transitional area between high dollar tourists and economically disadvantaged locals.  It’s far from a dangerous place, but if you aren’t paying attention, you could quickly find yourself in a bad neighborhood.

 

Yesterday, I was running sprints at a local track that was maybe 10 blocks away from my condo.  As I walked to and from the track, I noticed a lot of graffiti.  As noted above, graffiti is generally a sign of disorder and a likely indicator that you may be in an unsafe area.  But context matters as well.  That’s what inspired this article.  Not all the graffiti I saw was a danger sign.  How does one know the difference?

 

I am far from an expert on gangs.  We didn’t have any gang violence in the town where I worked as a cop for 25 years.  That being said, I’ve always been curious about gang communications and I’ve been to quite a few gang-related police training classes over the years.

 

I’ve read lots of books on deciphering gang graffiti as well.  I’ve concentrated much of my research on the Latin gangs as I spend so much time in South and Central America.  I’ll use some pictures I took along my walk to help you understand some things about graffiti.

 

Here’s the first gang tag I saw on my walk.

 

 

If you can’t read it, it says “Sur 13 Pacas.”

 

“Sur” indicates “Sureno,” meaning “Southerner” one of the big Mexican gang confederations.  They are rivals with “Nortenos” or “Northerners.”

 

The number 13 indicates the group’s affiliation with the Mexican Mafia gang.  The Mexican Mafia is called “Eme” (the letter M) for short.  M is the thirteenth letter of the alphabet.

 

“Pacas” is Spanish for “bales” as in bales of marijuana.  I’m only guessing here, but I’ll go ahead and make the assumption that this particular set runs in the neighborhood and that they might be involved in drug dealing.

 

One of the other factors that helps identify gang graffiti from more innocuous “tagging” is the presence of certain stylized words or letters that form a symbol recognized by gang members.  It’s like a secret gang language.  See how the letter P has a dot that looks like an eye?  I don’t know what that means, but I can make a guess.  Turning letters into symbols like an eye, a crown, a star, an arrow, or some other object is indicative of gang graffiti.

 

When the particular neighborhood is jointly claimed by more than one gang, you will often see one gang sign crossed out and overwritten by another gang’s symbol or name.  Nothing like that here.  No other gang names anywhere around and this one appears to have been there awhile without being defaced.  That most likely means that the Sur13Pacas have reasonable control over the territory.

 

I saw a lot more graffiti on my walk.  None of it was gang related and wasn’t indicative of anything other than the fact that the police don’t likely patrol the area a lot at night and the property owners don’t really care about their property.  How can you tell the difference?

 

Take a look at these two photos.

 

 

 

See how these are bigger, more colorful, and more ornate?  Notice how they are individual names or nicknames and not names of a group?  Notice how they are adjacent to one another without being crossed out or defaced?

 

These are most likely not gang graffiti.  This is probably the work of teen graffiti artists known as “taggers.”  Some taggers do artwork for gangs, but many of them are independent street artists.  They are the same kind of people who paint their names on water towers, walls, and train cars in your hometown.  These indicate that a neighborhood doesn’t get much police contact at night, but aren’t necessarily indicative of danger.

 

On the same wall I saw this piece of graffiti.  I couldn’t figure it out.  Any guesses?

 

 

Remember how I stated “context matters?”  The context became clear when I walked the same route home after my run.  Here’s what I saw.

 

That was the normal parking location of the local French Fry truck.  The “gang graffiti” was merely an advertisement painted by the truck owners to stake out their territory and keep other food trucks from parking in the area.  Graffiti may be about territory, but it’s not always about gang territory.

 

More contextual stuff.  What would you think if you saw this?

 

 

Doesn’t look good, does it?

 

But in context, as part of this large mural, do you feel the same way?  Does this look more like disordered and random graffiti or more like a public art project?

 

 

I did some research.  This is a wall surrounding an elementary school playground.

 

 

According to the locals I spoke with, a group of local taggers and artists (represented in the photo above) got together and artistically decorated the walls of the school playground as a public service to make the area more fun for the children and less unsightly for the residents.

 

Spray painting school walls may not be a common thing in America, but different cultures have different ideas about what is appropriate.  This mural had widespread public support and no other tagger would dare deface it.

 

This is a sign of neighborhood cohesion, not neighborhood disorder.

 

Many times graffiti is a sign that bad things are happening in a neighborhood.  Sometimes it’s the exact opposite.  A skillful and informed traveler will understand the difference.

 

 

 

 

 

Health Insurance for Long Term Travelers
Health Insurance for Long Term Travelers 652 935 Greg Ellifritz

As we are in the middle of a global pandemic, health insurance for expats and remote workers is pretty important.  Paying cash at a local clinic for strep throat treatment is a very different event than a multi-week Covid-19 hospital stay.

 

The article below explains some of the best options for travel health insurance.  For what it’s worth, I’m spending part of the winter in Mexico right now.  I booked my insurance with Safety Wing.

 

New! Global Freelancer Health Insurance for Self Employed and Remote Workers

 

 

 

 

What do psychics say about the future of travel?
What do psychics say about the future of travel? 541 402 Greg Ellifritz

Here’s an entertaining article the likes of which I’ve never seen before.  In it, five different psychics report their predictions for the future of travel.

 

Here’s What Travel Will Look Like in 2021, According to Psychics

 

If you don’t trust the psychics, you can see what a lot of travel experts are predicting in the article below.

 

No return to ‘normal’: Travel industry leaders weigh in on the future

 

I don’t think either group can possibly predict what will happen in the years to come.  I find it best not to get my hopes up.  I’ll just wait and see what happens, adjusting my travel plans as necessary.

 

 

Facebook Travel Groups
Facebook Travel Groups 600 900 Greg Ellifritz

I’m fairly active on Facebook, but I tend to avoid a lot of the groups.  I can’t stand the constant arguments and bickering I see in so many of them.

 

With that said, some of the travel groups have top notch information.  Check out the post below for a list of 40 of the best Facebook travel groups.

 

The Top 40+ Active Facebook Travel Groups to Join in 2021

How Not To Get Killed at the Airport
How Not To Get Killed at the Airport 569 1024 Greg Ellifritz

Written by Greg Ellifritz

 

LAX Shooting 2013 5

Since the shooting at LAX airport on November 1st, I’ve received lots of questions about how to stay safe in an airport when traveling.  Most of my readers carry weapons that can’t be carried past airport security.  Thus, their commonly relied upon means of defense isn’t available and they need an alternate defense plan.  It’s actually hard to give solid self protection advice for surviving airports.  Few good options exist.

 

America is one of the few countries in the world that allows relatively free access into the ticketing area of an airport.  In other countries, you will see lots of rifle-toting soldiers, checkpoints, and bomb sniffing dogs even before passengers get to the ticket counter or security lines.  It was only a matter of time before a terrorist or criminal chose to exploit this weakness.

 

Think about it…a terrorist could cause exactly the same result (mass casualties and a crippling strike to our economy) as bringing down a plane without ever having to board.  If terrorist groups bombed or shot up the unsecured ticketing areas of several airports sequentially, they would kill thousands and force Americans to stop flying.  And the terrorists could do it without having to remove their shoes at the security check or try to smuggle a bomb past the body scanner.  It would be easy.  That’s why the shooter at LAX chose that location to fire his weapon.

 

In reality, this has been done before.  Have you heard of the Moscow airport bombing?  It happened in January 2011.  Up to three Islamist suicide bombers set off bombs in the ticketing area of the Moscow airport, killing 37 people and injuring more than 180 more.

 

Here’s a brief video of the immediate aftermath…

I predict that we will see more attacks like this in coming years.  So what can we do to avoid getting killed?  Here are a few suggestions….

 

1) Don’t rush.  Get to the airport with plenty of extra time to spare.  When you are hurried and worrying about catching your flight, you aren’t paying good attention to what’s going on around you.  Not rushing to catch your plane will give you more time to keep an eye on your surroundings and avoid anything that makes you uncomfortable.  Download the My TSA App for your phone to get real time updates on delays and specific security wait times at the airport of your choosing.  Check the data and plan ahead so that you don’t have to hurry.

 

2) Do as much as possible to avoid standing at the ticketing counter.  Check your luggage at the curb (not allowed if you are checking firearms) or travel with a carry on only to avoid standing in the ticketing line.  Print your boarding pass at home.  The less time spent where people gather (especially lots of clueless people) the better.

 

3) Get through security as quickly as you can.  Even though our airport security is a farce, you are still safer inside the checkpoint than outside.  Don’t eat or have coffee in restaurants outside the security checkpoint.  Clear security quickly and then find a place to eat.  The best advice for clearing security quickly is in this Wired Magazine article.

 

Airsecurity2

4) Once you clear security, find your gate, any emergency exits, and any place where you might be able to acquire weapons for a more serious hostage situation or terrorist bombing.  Food preparation areas will generally have knives.  Maintenance areas will generally have tools.  Look for cleaning carts to find irritant chemicals.  You might need any of those items if things go bad.

 

5) Get away from as many people as possible.  Terrorists target large groups of people.  I’m a big fan of avoiding such groups and thus, I’m also a huge proponent of using airport lounges.  You will most likely have access to a lounge if you are traveling in Business or First Class or have preferred status with a certain airline.   Lounge Buddy is an App you can put on your phone that will tell you all of the available lounges and what the requirements are for entry.   You can also become a member of Priority Pass.  For an annual fee, you can get a set number of free lounge visits every year, even if you are flying coach.

 

Lounge Buddy Screen Shot

Lounge Buddy Screen Shot

 

6) Weapons and Equipment.  To be honest, for most terrorist attacks, any weapons that you are able to legally carry through security are likely to be inconsequential to the overall outcome.  I really don’t think you will take out multiple suicide bombers with your “tactical” pen.

 

But most of you carry weapons on a daily basis, so I’ll go over a few options for airport carry.  My first recommendation is to NEVER SMUGGLE ANYTHING ILLEGAL THROUGH SECURITY.  Yes, some things may make it through, but I don’t think the risk of spending years in prison is worth the advantage of having a small knife or something of the sort.  There are better defense options available that won’t get you thrown in prison.

 

– Canes: Canes are legal on an airplane.  You don’t even have to feign a limp.  As long as the cane doesn’t have a sword inside, it’s pretty much allowed to go through….even nasty fighting canes like the TDI/KaBar model.  While I don’t think canes are the best weapon to use ON a plane, they work well in the airport and in the terminal.

 

– Flashlights:  You should definitely have a flashlight in your carry-on.  I always carry at least two.  One of them is a headlamp that allows me to see and operate without tying up my hands.  It also works great when you are trying to read and you happen to be in the seat with the malfunctioning overhead reading light.

 

In addition to the headlamp, I also carry a flashlight that I can hit someone with.  I usually end up carrying a Surefire or Fenix brand light that uses two CR123 batteries.  They are bright, durable, fairly light, and perfect to use to defend yourself from a serious criminal

 

– Tactical pens:  Some pens are made stoutly enough to serve as impact weapons.  I would avoid the ones that are spiky or look like a weapon.  Those may be confiscated by TSA.  I prefer the lower profile tactical pens.  I carry one made by my friend Rick Hinderer all over the world and have never had an issue.

 

It’s probably a good idea to pack a pre-stamped, self addressed envelope in your carry-on bag.  If for some reason the TSA doesn’t like your pen or flashlight, you can mail it home to yourself.

 

-Improvised impact weapons.  Think along the idea of “a rock in a sock.”  A couple of D-cell batteries inside a long tube sock (put together after you clear security) makes a very nasty impact weapon.  I generally use an old biker weapon instead…a bandanna threaded through the hasp of a padlock.  You are limited only by your imagination.

 

Neither bandannas nor padlocks are prohibited by the TSA....

Neither bandannas nor padlocks are prohibited by the TSA….

 

7) Medical Supplies.  Don’t forget medical supplies.  The first aid kits on airplanes are laughably sparse.  And if something really bad happens in the airport, you shouldn’t expect to get help quickly.  Check out this article if you don’t believe me…

 

LAX security officer bled for 33 minutes as help stood by

 

In addition to the large medical kit I have in my checked bag, I also carry a smaller kit on my person or in my carry-on.  All the items inside must be TSA-legal and small enough that they don’t take up much room.   Mine is carried in a small Blackhawk nylon pouch.  Inside, I carry the following:

 

– A “snivel kit” with bandaids, OTC meds, antibiotic ointment and the like

– A CAT Tourniquet

– A Triangular bandage, carabiner, and key ring.  The bandage can be used for many conditions.  When I put the three together, I can make another tourniquet ala Paul Gomez (see video below)

– Duct tape

– Chest seals

– Pressure Dressing

– Celox Hemostatic Gauze

– Prescription pain meds, anti-nausea meds, and broad spectrum antibiotics

– Safety pins

– Gauze pads

-Water purification tablets

–Blister treatment

Here’s my “plane kit”…

 

Open

My airplane first aid kit (since photo was taken, I’ve replaced the TK-4 tourniquet with a CAT)

 

Having traveled to more than 50 countries in the last 15 years, this stuff is important to me.  I hope I gave you a few ideas to help keep yourself safer.