Internet Access

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I know you are all dying to know about the difficulties you might encounter in your attempts at staying connected. Of course, it wouldn't be for work, but instead, to post pictures of pupusas, views of San Salvador from Los Planes de Renderos and a ton of other beautiful things in El Salvador. Or perhaps you just want to brag via Twitter to your fellow expats that you are sitting at the beach taking in some rays, while they are clearing snow from their respective driveways in New York or Toronto.

Regardless of your intentions, there is no need to worry, all that fun can be had without any real complications. Internet access is easily had even in the most remote areas in El Salvador. Some municipalities even offer free WiFi in public places such as parks. 

For the purposes of historical reference, commercial internet access initially became available to most Salvadorans in the late 90s, but costs involved for the connection and computer equipment kept it beyond the reach of much of the population. Over the past decade, however, things have changed dramatically. Prices have gone down, both for equipment and connections, which in turn has made internet access much more prevalent than back in 1998 when I first visited. 

Much like with mobile phone service, a number of affordable options worth discussing now exist. Lets begin with the free options. 

As mentioned earlier, some municipalities offer free WiFi access in public places. For example, free WiFi access is available at the central park in Antiguo Cuscatlan, although I can't speak to its quality from personal experience. The same is true for areas of Santa Tecla, although, I again cannot speak to its quality. It is an option worth keeping in mind, especially if you are in a bind and in desperate need of a connection. However, please be careful when using such connections as they are open to everyone, including hackers and other malicious users. By careful, I mean, at the very least, do not logon to sites that do not use HTTPS or a secure connection -- assuming you must logon to something.

On a related note, many restaurants also offer patrons free WiFi access. This is true for both the more established restaurants and the mom-and-pop coffee shops. It is definitely worth asking. I have spent hours at a time at some places using their WiFi without anyone bothering me or harassing me to buy something from their menu (although I always do anyway). This seems to be the norm at the places that offer it and makes the experience pleasant.

I've used the connections at Pizza Hut and Viva Espresso (a local coffee shop) extensively and can tell you from personal experience that they are more than adequate for anyone's needs. They are fast and reliable. Sometimes they require a password, other times not, but if they do, you can easily obtain it from your server.

Now, if you want something a bit more private, you can get a USB modem with pay-as-you-go service for your laptop. A USB modem is a device that looks like one of the popular USB memory sticks, but rather than providing additional space for you to store files, it instead provides wireless internet access. Note this is different than WiFi access. What this essentially translates to is that you can get internet access on your computer anywhere you can get a signal for a mobile phone. That includes the beach and just about anywhere else in the country.

Crime

It is difficult to participate in a conversation pertaining to El Salvador without someone in the mix eventually bringing up the subject of crime -- and for good reason. 

Most news about El Salvador that expatriates receive leave the impression that the country is fraught with indiscriminate and violent crime. Add to this a recently released report putting El Salvador at the top of the most violent nations on Earth. I am not going to get into debating the merits or flaws of the report, but the reality of the situation in the country is not as dire as what many outside the country might think.

Danger definitely exists, as it does in Los Angeles, my adopted home. Prudent behavior goes a long way both in San Salvador and Los Angeles. Much like I wouldn't walk around a tough neighborhood in Los Angeles wearing a thick gold chain around my neck, I don't do the same in San Salvador -- unless I wanted undesired attention.

While my example is a bit of a hyperbole, it serves to illustrate where many people go wrong. 

The behavior that keeps you safe wherever it is you call home as an expatriate will also help keep you safe in San Salvador and other places in El Salvador. Unfortunately, some people tend to forget this point when they jump on the plane taking them to El Salvador (or any other place for that matter).

Much like in major cities within the United States, violent crimes are often associated with specific areas of San Salvador or other destinations in El Salvador. And much like in Los Angeles, this fact doesn't mean the possibility of something occurring outside those areas is eliminated, it merely means the chances are reduced. To give you an example, there are many small towns in El Salvador where violent crime is completely unheard of. 

Petty theft or vandalism is a different story, which brings me to another important point. Violent crime may be concentrated in specific neighborhoods, but petty crimes aren't, and this is something that is quite a bit different than what you may be accustomed to in your current place of residence.