Santa Ana possesses a majestic theater on the plaza downtown, an ornate cathedral, as well as a stylish social club called La Casona Santaneca. We attended a ball at the Casona during my visit. Santa Ana’s upper crust were present and dressed to the nines. Nonetheless, all of the men who entered, myself included, were frisked at the door. My hosts explained to me that these searches prevented heated discussions at the bar from escalating into shootouts. Ba, pué! (All right, then!)

Richard Jenssen

March 1999