Five years of blogging

Today is the 5th anniversary of the start of Tim's El Salvador Blog.

I'm in El Salvador as I write this post, having just participated in the commemorations of the murder of the Jesuits and the subversive cross. I'm also here to understand more of the country's needs following the floods of a week ago.

This trip captures many of the themes which have been part of the blog over the years -- the legacy of the civil war, how justice can prevail over impunity, and El Salvador's vulnerability to natural disasters from hurricanes to earthquakes and volcanoes. As our group chooses when and where to travel, I am mindful of El Salvador's surging crime problem, while at the same time appreciating the beauty of the countryside which made El Salvador one of Lonely Planet's top 10 countries to visit. The elections of 2009 probably used up more of the 1400 posts I have written than any other topics, elections which resulted in the historic peaceful transfer of power to the country's first left-wing president.

Thanks to everyone who has participated by commenting on the blog, by sending me a suggestion, or recommending the blog to a friend. The next 5 years of the blog starts today.