San Salvador and the Pacific Coast

 Our driver dropped us off at Captain Gerardo Barrios Plaza, the main square of San Salvador,  and gave us three hours to explore the central city.  The square is bounded by an enormous new library, funded by the Chinese, (they are everywhere), the Cathedral of San Salvador and the Presidential Palace.   Our first stop was at the library where we were amused by the fact that bags are searched for pens, apparently a banned item in the library.  Very strange but they must have their reasons.  The library is impressive with a vast central atrium and many areas for community groups to gather.  There was a preschool area, a childrens reading area, meeting places for a wide range of groups, computer areas etc.  We particularly enjoyed the views of the city from the high library balconies.

Library of San Salvador

Across the square we visited the Cathedral, busy with worshippers in the late morning, and then descended into the crypt to view the tomb of Saint Oscar Romero assassinated during the El Salvador civil war.  It is a sombre place.  Near the tomb are a series of photos taken of his body in the aftermath of his murder.  They are graphic and confronting and a reminder of the futility and horrors of war. 

Tomb of St Oscar Romero, martyred for supporting the poor.

Out in the daylight and a walk through the very pretty Presidential Gardens beside the palace, followed by a quick stop at a modern air conditioned coffee shop for refreshments and we were on the road again heading to the Pacific Coast. 

The Presidential Garden and Palace

(Photo by Alina)

 It was only an hour from the city along a very impressive highway. We were going to spend the night at Surf City.  The name was the result of rebranding by a government tourism campaign in order to attract tourists. Originally it was part of the town of La Libertad. El Salvador is proud of this surf beach but, hey, I come from New Zealand, beaches are hard to impress me when our own are sublime.  Fair to say I wasn't particularly impressed by Surf City, although there were good breakers and a few surfers were enjoying them, the black sand beach was narrow and stoney and the town had that slightly scruffy look that often seems to come with surfing/back packing beaches. Nevertheless it was good to look at the Pacific Ocean 11,500 kms from where I look at it daily from my home in New Zealand.

Surf City beach ( Photo by Thomas Bauer)

We were to get up at 4am in order to reach the small ferry that would take us to Nicaragua so it was an early night for us.  The best laid plans etc.....Firstly my air conditioning was turned to freezing so I got up to adjust it then there was an incredible thunder storm which seemed to last for hours.  I'd never heard anything like it, lightening, thunder and torrential rain, sleep was impossible.  No sooner had the thunder and lightening stopped than cars stuck in the flooded streets started tooting their horns.  I gave up and got up at 3am.  Safe to say I had no sleep.  Part of the fun? of travel I guess. We loaded our bus in drizzle and at 4am  started the long drive to the border crossing and small ferry that would take us to Nicaragua.