Cash Is King

dollarintelligent.com

A prior post made reference to the fact that the U.S. dollar is the official currency in El Salvador. I won't get into discussing the pros or cons of this matter, as that's not what this blog is about, but suffice it to say, the old Colón currency is long out of circulation.

For those of you travelling to El Salvador from the U.S., it means you no longer have to exchange money, which had a tendency to be a hassle. Those of you travelling from other places just need to be aware you won't be receiving local currency in exchange for your currency, so don't be surprised.

Side note: I am not entirely sure where one exchanges other currencies, but I am assuming local banks are the appropriate place for those transactions as that's where one used to exchange U.S. dollars. That's also the norm in most countries. I will investigate the matter and append the information to this post.

Alright, now lets discuss some useful tips pertaining to your cash. 

First, avoid larger bills as much as possible, and by larger, I mean anything over $10. Unless you go to the mall or a good size restaurant/supermarket/store or the like, it is unlikely you will be able to get change for anything bigger than a $10 bill. 

Local convenience stores are notorious for this. Whenever possible, save whichever $5 and $1 bills you come by as they will be very helpful, especially for cab rides. Note as well that the $1 bill is being phased out and being replaced by the gold colored $1 coin. Pay attention to any that you might receive as some folks claim to have received gold colored $0.25 coins in their place. 

As with any other place you might visit, it is not wise to carry large amounts of cash on your person. Bear this in mind when you go out. If you intend to do a lot of shopping in the neighborhood shops, mercados (markets) or restaurants, credit cards won't get you very far. Cash is king at these places, as it is with street merchants. It is better to make multiple trips than be sorry later for any loses you may incur due to theft or other unfortunate circumstances.

Can You Hear Me Now?

psdgraphics.com

Those of you that do not live in the United States are probably a bit puzzled by the title of this post. I extracted it from a famous marketing campaign executed by a large wireless carrier based in the States. At the core, its message was to promote the carrier's reliability and widespread coverage.

As you may have guessed, many folks travelling to El Salvador often have similar questions of the wireless coverage in the country. In a nutshell, there is a wide variety of available options, enough to suit anyone. Lets talk about this in more detail.

First, the question of whether or not it is possible to take one's phone. It is possible to take your current phone and activate it, given you meet certain rules. The first of these rules is that CDMA networks no longer exist in El Salvador. In the States, Sprint and Verizon are the primary CDMA providers. If you have a phone with either of those carriers, you won't be able to activate your phone in El Salvador.

So which phones can you activate? Those that use a GSM network such as AT&T, and usually contain a replaceable chip. That chip is your key.

Side note: If you are unsure if you have a CDMA or GSM phone, contact your wireless provider before heading out to El Salvador as locals will be of limited assistance in helping you answer that question.

Once you are in El Salvador you'll be able to purchase a chip that corresponds with one of the various local carriers and away you go. Note that your phone's contact list and other goodies you are accustomed to when you are at home are stored on your chip. Thus, replacing it means you lose access to that information, at least for the meantime.

The chips themselves are easy to replace and run about $5 a piece. In addition to the chip, you'll also want to buy airtime, which is sold in any denomination you like, starting at $1. Both are readily available at local neighborhood convenience stores and shopping malls. If you go to the latter, you can usually find places where they will help you replace the chip.

Welcome!

Seihonda/Wikipedia

Greetings!

Thanks for stopping by and reading this blog. In case you have stumbled upon us by chance, below are a few words that talk about it.

A few decades back, the civil war in El Salvador forced my family and I to leave El Salvador. We joined the growing expatriate community residing in the United States, many of whom had also fled for similar reasons. As the years passed, the community continued to grow, due to increased immigration for varied reasons, as well as first generation Salvadoran-Americans. The phenomena has repeated itself in other nations, such as Australia, Canada and Sweden, all places where many war refugees migrated to during the war. 

After the war, many expatriates --including myself-- trekked back to El Salvador to visit family, see old friends, etc. For many of us, it became a ritual we practiced on a regular basis. But for many, visiting presented a number of questions, especially to those that originally fled the country as a child or now wanted to travel back to El Salvador with children of their own.

What neighborhoods are considered safe?

How do I activate my mobile phone?

Can I rent a car with my license?

The list of questions is endless, and whenever possible, I chime in and provide some insight to those who may be asking, based on my direct experiences from my travels back to El Salvador. Over the years, a few individuals have suggested to me that I formalize some of my tidbits into a guide of sorts for folks wanting to visit and share some of those same curiosities.

So here it is, Somos Expats, a guide for expatriates (and others) wishing to visit El Salvador. I hope that you find information that is useful for your trip. If you any questions or specific topics you would like to see covered, drop me a note and I will be more than happy to get you an answer. Likewise, if any information becomes outdated or is incorrect, do not hesitate to send me an email or add a comment so I can correct it.

Thanks again for visiting!