La Prensa's Top 10 Salvadoran Marvels list


La Prensa had its readers vote on the top 10 human-built marvels of El Salvador. Here are the results:

  1. Plaza of the Americas with Salvador del Mundo monument
  2. Cathedral of Santa Ana
  3. National Palace
  4. Theater of Santa Ana
  5. Monument to the Revolution
  6. Calvary Church
  7. National Theater
  8. Clock of Flowers
  9. Sacred Heart of Jesus Basilica
  10. Church of Candelaria
There are pictures of each marvel at the La Prensa Grafica site.

In my humble opinion, the real marvels in El Salvador aren't the human-built ones.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Porque el Hermano Lejano, la Chulona, y el terminal del norte no están en esta lista Top Ten? Monumentos de mujeres desnudas y a los compatriotas en Gringolandia quienes nos mantienen afuera de quiebra con sus remesas y un Terminal de buses lleno de delincuentes y vendedores informales también son maravillas humanas.
Anonymous said…
Yo voto por el Monumento De la Esperanza --el q' todavia no se construye, pero que representa a los caidos.

Para el de "la Chulona," quiero decirte que el sarcasmo y actitudes anti-progresistas pertenecen en otro pais, no en El Salvador.
Anonymous said…
y la catedral metropolitana? para que saenz gasto tanto pisto si ni siquiera la reconocen?
Anonymous said…
Pongan su nombre o apodo por lo menos por favor. Le quiero dar gracias a Tim por esta Blogsite. By the way, are you Salvi Tim ? Anyhow, El primer comentario del Hermano Lejano y de la chulona tiene merito en mi opinion. Para el que menciono la actitud anti- progresista ??? No tiene que ver nada con lo que el primer comentario se referia. La realidad es que si, las remesas es el primer ingreso del pulgarcito lamentablemente, anti-progresismo es eso, estar viviendo del hermano lejano y no hablar con la verdad. Solo asi se llegara al cambio real. Entiendo que estas son cosas hermosas construidas pero lamentablemente estan muy lejos de ser maravillas. Les aseguro que si los standards de todos fueran como el mio EL Salvador si tuviera maravillas. Empecemos con la educacion y ataquemos la corrupcion. Cambiemos la cultura rica en ignorancia y egoista con el pisto y careciente de hermandad. los zipotillos y los bichos son los que lo van a poder hacer. Ya nosotros quedamos muy jodidos por la guerra... Ellos son donde el pais tiene oportunidad al cambio real. Nuestro trabajo es de darles la mejor educacion posible. No me sorprenderia si hay mas iglesias y chupaderos que escuelitas de mas de 10 aulas.
Tim, mucho gusto y les dire a todas mis amistades aqui en el Sur de Califa de tu Blog.

Les pido que respondan a esto que escribi, hablemos hermanos ya que lejanos hay donde acercarce.

Thanks Tim.

"Kike78"
Qiuvo said…
Kike, great comments! Any time you bring up any sort of criticism regarding the state of current affairs (as warranted as it may be) there are always those who throw out the "anti-progressive" label.
Reality is reality. The truth is hard to swallow and it will take some brave individuals to change the future of our beautiful little country. It all starts with us "regular Joe's" calling it as we see it: symbolism (or "fluff") over substance. And yes, these man made places are nice, but marvels?

Greetings to all the Guanacos, and Tim, your blog rocks.

Qiuvo
http://www.qiuvo.com
Anonymous said…
the savior of the world monument is by far the brand logo of el salvador, although it is not as mighty as the Christ that oversees rio de janeiro. you know with all those volcanoes in san salvador they should do something like that, or something like the hollywood sign, it'll just give a new facade to the city panorama. and i also say let's build a new and mighty monument to hope, to hope that el salvador one day emerges out of its ashes to greatness...naive, i know, but that's the point, hope is naive but it is the greatest of human virtues.
Salvi_Alchemist said…
I would not want a sign like Hollywood's at all. No offense but it erks me to see El Salvador get Westernized and look like a mini US. I agree with building another statue of Christ like Rio's though. Something that embraces the Latin vibration of ES and also demonstrates how great the country is.

And what about the Pompei of Latin America? Granted its was burried by the volcano but was built by men.
Anonymous said…
Hay dos maravillas principales y fundamentales. Los maravillosos hermanos lejanos y la maravilla de gente que solo espera las tuzitas... Que maravilla, que pasan en la hamaca tomando cafesito y soplandose los ...
A los que madrugan a romperce el lomo haganle otro "MENUMENTO"... A los hermanos que esperan (cercanos) hanganle una estatua acostada...
Anonymous said…
I truly believe that the future of a democratic country, like El Salvador, is every countryman's business...not just the governments'. This is PARTICULARLY true for those Salvadorans who live offshore.

I agree with the guy who at least makes the point that a bad attitude is anti-progressive.

If I could paraphrase a famous quote by JFK: "As NOT what the country can do for you, but what YOU can do for your country."
Anonymous said…
Anti-Progressive by telling it how it is buddy ??? You need a reality check. Let's have a good attitude about how things are going and sit on our Laurels, yeah that's a good attitude. You and I may be well off that does not mean we should be ok with what's going overthere since we are offshores. The truth does hurt a little bit and I understand. Face it like a man and do something about it rather than try to smear my comments by trying to make us look anti-progressives. I suggest you visit El Salvador and go to the poorest sections and talk to people en el kiosko o en la calle. I dare you to comeback to tell me everything is going fine. If you do comeback saying that, you're not only a liar but an anti-progressive.

"Kike78"
Anonymous said…
Kike,

First, I come from a humble background myself. Since my original departure as a student thirty years ago, I have been to El Salvador many times. You can’t avoid seeing the poor and their struggle, so please..

I once broke for a very old man who despite the inversed-L-shape of his body was still looking for work. Poor “Jorobadito,” probably worked “chapiando monte” all his life. Yet, there he was, making a living, not pissing and moaning waiting for a hand off.

I lost count how may times I saw middle-aged women selling “pupusas” off the road, nearly getting killed running alongside the bus, because they were too honest to “keep the change.“

It’s hard in El Salvador alright. There are only so many resources (and tax collection) to go around in a Latin American society that struggles to get out of brutal colonial mentality. However, teamwork, creativity, honesty, self-confidence, education and a damn-good attitude can go a long way. Salvadorans have proven they can, all over the world.

My wife’s nephew, Neto, lost both his parents very young; his mother was killed as a bystander during the civil war. She left three orphans. Neto never knew which side killed his mother. Damn, as far as I’m concerned both sides did.

With hard work, Neto built a distribution business off the streets. He still works hard, but now takes pride in the house he’s building in Santa Ana out of extra cash. Might take him years, but he’s far from "sitting in his laurels feeling anger and sorry for himself. He knows that hatred is destructive and makes it a point to keep it out of his children’s hearts.

Perhaps those who stayed and did their best to stick it out, “a Dios rogando, pero con el maso dando,” can be our inspiration.

This doesn’t get the government off the hook. I think its top priority is essentially twofold:
- Stop the bleeding --children and ‘jorobaditos,’
- Open up the channels (and mostly stay out of the way) for all the Netos and honest “pupuseras” of El Salvador to thrive. Then collect more taxes and do it all over again, together, as a team. We, offshore, MUST help too.

This takes time. If you think this is an overnight endeavor, in one term, perhaps YOU need a reality check too.

So, is the government off the hook? NO. Should we speak for the poor? LOUDLY. Is the government alone capable of turning things around quickly? ABSOLUTELY NOT.

Let’s keep the debate going and rebuild “el pulgarcito,” together, free.

Fish-guy.