Lago de Coatepeque, El Salvador

For Christmas Eve, I thought that only a relax day would be nice knowing that I want to go out tonight... So I decided that I would only go to see the Lago de Coatepeque which is situated not that far away from San Salvador about 60-70 km.

It is a nice lake which is actually a crater... On the other hand even without having read it, I could have guessed that it was a crater :)

It was a nice and pleasant day, though it had been hard to find an access to the lake as a lot of people have had their houses build between the road and the shore of the lake....

And a wee video :

Joya de Cerén and San Andrés, El Salvador

, EToday I have visited to site that were nearby and also close from San Salvador (only 35-40 km away).

Joya de Cerén had no big buildings like pyramids or temples. However it had a farmer village and also the Mayan hammam. Indeed the village has been buried under the ashes of a volcano, so the houses have been kept intact by the ashes. They even have found some carbonised food or seeds (cacao, beans, corn, etc).

El rio sucio (the dirty river), named because of the ashes that it carried

On the other hand in San Andrés, I have been back to the pyramids I've seen in my previous visits. Apparently San Andrés was the capital of the whole valley surrounding it.

This site also gave me a nice view of the aforesaid valley.

El Tazumal, El Salvador

Yesterday I went to Chalchuapa to visit the ruins of El Tazumal. This was the most impressive site in El Salvador but mainly it was only one or two structure and a museum.

This site should be bigger if it had been excavated or not buried under the actual city of Chalchuapa.

The god Xipe Totec (Aztec God)

Then I walked to the church and the main square.

Santa Ana, El Salvador

Today I have spent the day outside of San Salvador because it is time to visit this small country. I have been to Santa Ana which is I think the second biggest city here in El Salvador.

In a way, it looks like San Salvador : only few colonial buildings, chaotic city centre. However the cathedral is nicer to my point of view.

San Salvador, El Salvador

Yesterday I changed of country and I arrived in San Salvador, El Salvador. It just took me about 10 hours and 5 buses and a tricycle to go from Antigua, Guatemala to San Salvador. I mean crossing the border was easy but taking chickenbus after chickenbus slow me down a little bit.

Today I have visited San Salvador. To be honest, it's not the most beautiful city I've visited so far but it has its charm and also it's pretty green and clean.

The area I'm staying in is really quiet and safe (yes San Salvador could be a bit unsafe by night in some areas).

The historic center is interesting for the fact that it's a real mayhem. People are selling stuff everywhere :  clothes, food, fruits, vegetables, DVDs, etc....