Last week, Elizabeth and I were planning our usual monthly trip to PriceSmart. At the beginning of each month, we typically travel to San Salvador to stock up on the things we’ll need. This time, however, we decided to head to Santa Ana instead.
We’ve been to the Santa Ana PriceSmart before, and with the ongoing roadwork toward San Salvador, the drive is noticeably quicker and easier. Since we were already changing our routine, we decided to go early and spend some time exploring the city’s historic center—something we hadn’t done before.
Santa Ana is the second-largest city in El Salvador and the capital of the country’s coffee-producing department that shares its name. The city is known for some of the best-preserved colonial architecture in the country and is located near several of El Salvador’s most important archaeological sites.
We arrived early and spent a few hours walking around and sightseeing. We went on Friday the 9th, which turned out not to be the ideal day. The city was in the process of dismantling the Christmas display in the central park, and there was quite a bit of equipment and activity underway. Still, we made the best of it. I took some photos and visited several sites around the historic area.
Unfortunately, we weren’t able to go inside the cathedral, as it was closed until 2:00 p.m. By then, hunger had set in, so we had lunch at Pizza Hut downtown. As the afternoon wore on, it was time to shift gears and head to PriceSmart to do our shopping.
Even with the limitations of time and circumstance, the visit gave us a good introduction to the city. We’re already planning to return with a more organized plan so we can explore more of Santa Ana—and the surrounding areas—at a slower pace.
Days like this often remind me why I pay attention. Traveling familiar roads, walking through a city for the first time, and adapting to what the day offers feels, to me, like a quiet conversation with the universe. Not one that announces itself, but one that unfolds through timing, chance encounters, and the small adjustments we make along the way.
My book, Harmony of the Cosmos, now listed on Amazon, grew out of this way of seeing. It isn’t a traditional memoir of dates and events, but a reflective life journey shaped by service, spirituality, and listening for the deeper rhythms that seem to guide a life. Living in El Salvador has sharpened that awareness for me, reminding me that meaning often reveals itself not in grand plans, but in ordinary days—shared meals, familiar roads, and places that slowly begin to feel like home.
We hope you enjoy the photos and these reflections. If our writing speaks to you, we invite you to subscribe and share your thoughts in the comments. Conversations, like journeys, are better when shared.
Leave a Reply