Day 19 San Salvador (4 Aug)

(Written in San Salvador at internet in Hotel on 04 August 2009)

After good night we had the hotel-included breakfast that consisted of fried banabas, beans and rice and scrambled egs with peppes and onions. Looking through the guidebook to see what we could do today, we decided to go to the anthropological museam. As we stood on the street corner wondering how to catch a bus to the museum, the cornershop owner and her son approached us to ask if they could help. The son could speak some English and confirmed the bus number we should take. They then confired and the lady offered that her son would take us to the museum in their car. We accepted thankfully and amazed and were taken the10 minutes drive to the museum by this kind but reserved young man. He dropped us and declined a contribution for fuel. We blessed him thankfully!

At the museum we creatively made up our own stories for the displays since all the sub-scripts were in Spanish. There was a temporary exhibition celebrating 40 years of man on the moon. A museum employee named Rebecca was stationed here to explain it to people and to our delight she spoke English. She showed us the main exhibit which was a rock from the moon given to El Salvador by the USA. After chatting a while about the moon, space and then some issues closer to home such as the things El Salvador and South Africa have in common, she indicated that she was a believer. Jansie briefly explained what we are about and Rebecca was delighted for us to take a stone from El Salvador. She said El Salvador needed all the prayer it could get, since they are called after Jesus, the Saviour, but they are not showing His salvation to the world.

The 3 hour walk back to the hotel took us throught the nicer part of town in the sweltering mid-day heat of this tropical country. We stopped here for a drink, and there for a taco and admired all the interesting plants wesaw along the way.

Back at the hotel we rested a bit and then made our way to the down town (or the less nice) area, because Jansie felt the Highway needed to gothrough there. The street markets and evening buz reminded of so many other streets we have seen in developing countries with cheep chinese clothing and household fair piled to the roof in tiny sidewalk stalls that all look the same. We did not see anything that looked like a gangster - but how would we know what they look like anyway -and game back safe but sweaty.

Now for an early night because our bus to Honduras leaves at 5:30 in the morning.