Driving through El Salvador at night

Never thought I would be doing that!

The drive to El Salvador seemed to take ages - even though it was only six hours it felt like 10.

The border crossing was pretty quick. Our guide told us it took him about four trips to have it run smoothly. He said sometimes they can keep you there for hours. The border police came into the van and looked at us and our passports even though they had already been stamped.

When we cross the border the town has alot of bars on windows and doors, fences and barbed wire. The middle class homes are surrounded by fences and barbed wire and there is even barbed wire on their balconies.

Plus for the size of the town there are alot of funeral homes!

The countryside is hilly and brown and the rural homes are similar to Honduras and Guatemala.

As the sun goes down I just want to get to the hotel, have a shower and go to bed.

After hotel checkin we are briefed on all the tours. The tour company really presses these tours and doesn't cater much for the budget traveller so you really have to press the guide for information on how to do things yourself and then half the information is left out.

None of the tours appeal - a three hour town tour (no way) and a boat trip to watch the sunset with alot of drunk aussies and poms (shoot me now).

There was a very interesting tour which would have shown us where all the guerilla warfare took place, given us the history and allowed us to meet a former fighter who joined up when he was 12. Then the tour finished at a waterfall. Fabulous I thought but only two of us were intetested and they needed four.
They offered to drive us there and back for $50 when the tour with an English speaking guide was $35!!
No thanks was the response.

Kayaking to watch the sunrise on the lake sounds nice but not sure I could keep up with two hours of kayaking or get up st 5am.

No hot shower so out I go and after alot of fiddling around I am told there is hot water. When I have my shower its barely luke warm. They must have a different definition of hot here! Too tired so cold shower it is and to save time I wash my clothes in the shower. The joys of budget travel.Read more