Road Trip to El Salvador

November 10, 8:04 AMCentral American Travel ExaminerMichael Sherer

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Day One…I'll leave Guatemala in a few hours,  via the Pan American Highway by bus(no, not a chicken bus) and head for San Salvador, the capital….and it rocks. The country is a contrast of volcanoes and palm-fringed beaches, with the best surfing in Central America(eat your hearts out, Nicaragua and Costa Rica)and it was just named by Lonely Planet guide books as the Number 1 travel destination for 2010.

The highlands are semi-tropical, agricultural and pastoral: cattle and horses graze in emerald-green fields of lush grass, and coffee plantations grow on the sides of dormant volcanoes. There are a few white sand beaches, but most are volcanic black stretches of vacant vistas. The coast is undiscovered and for the most part, only known to locals and the few Gautemalans searching for a different get-a-way. I'm not taking the lap-top nor the Beretta: two less things to worry about and the full story can wait til I'm back. Two phones, two cameras, two credit cards, two pens and an notebook.

Night#1…reception at the Mayan Country Club, with open bar(free drinks)
Day#2   ...beach and fresh seafood.
Night#2…Night clubs(owned by friends=VIP treatment)
Day#3  ….reception at US Embassy and Veteran's Day ceremonies.(yes, a day late, tis El Salvador)
Night#3…*see Night#2
Day#4…..who knows, who cares?...I'll take the Pacific route, along the coast, towards Guatemala and home. El Imposible National Park calls to me somehow and there'll be some Mayan ruins along the way.