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Rose rents a one-bedroom casita for $200 a month, on the grounds of a larger home owned by a Canadian couple who plan to retire there eventually. "We came to an arrangement—I organize any maintenance work that needs to be done on the big house, and keep the place in order, and in return I get to use the pool, garden, and get a better deal on rent.
Early mornings are my favorite time in San Salvador. I love to sit on my balcony and watch as the city wakes up. In the hour just after dawn, you can still hear the call of geckos and the songs of birds. It’s never really cold here, but at that time, the air is relatively cool and the smell of fresh-baked empanadas de leche wafts up to my fourth-floor balcony.