The bloody 12-year civil war between the government and the guerrilla movement in El Salvador ended in 1993. Tens of thousands of people died, and many Salvadorans fled the country. I worked with one such refugee in Australia in the 1990s. As soon as the war was over, he began making plans to return.
“I don’t need your Australia,” he said. “It’s cold here. It’s better back home in El Salvador. The temperature stays the same all year round. It’s just that it’s dry in winter and humid in summer. You walk around sweating”, and he left.
He was absolutely right about the sweating; I could wring out my T-shirt when I got back to my room from outside. I would have happily wandered around the city all day if it weren’t for the crazy humidity. The hotel didn’t serve meals, so I found a nearby café where the locals had breakfast. You’d grab a tray and help yourself to various dishes from the buffet plus the obligatory coffee – all for a few dollars.
By the way, the currency in El Salvador is the US dollar, which is convenient if you come from the States. El Salvador abandoned its own currency in 2004. They do mint their own one-dollar and cent coins, though. I brought some back as souvenirs; I don’t think they can circulate outside of El Salvador.
I decided not to rush around and to stay in the capital. I wandered through the markets, observing local life. I liked the way Salvadorans board the bus: they form a neat, single-file line standing right behind one another and board unhurriedly. This brought back memories of how people used to storm public transport back in Soviet times shoving each other with elbows and bags.
I know I only caught a fleeting glimpse like a snapshot that didn’t give me a full picture of the country, but then again, I’d ended up there entirely by chance instead of going to Venezuela. I might not have seen anything at all. The World Cup 2026 helped me pass the time at a leisurely pace: the afternoon match coincided with my lunch, and the evening one with dinner. I would wander through the city until I stumbled upon a nice café with a big TV, then sat, ate, and watched the game.
Two days flew by in a flash, and it was time to move on to Panama, another country I did not originally plan to visit on this trip. I went to the airport on a local bus the same way I came in.
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