El Salvador, a nation which until very recently elicited fear from the simple utter of its name. It was known as the murder capital of the world, a place literally stained by the blood of daily violence.
But recently, it has undergone an astonishing turnaround. Now, it has the lowest murder rate in Latin America. And as a result, it has opened the eyes of previously wary tourists. Like me.
The main airport of El Salvador is outside the capital city of San Salvador. I had actually transited this airport years ago. Along with Panama City, it is an easy airport to transit in Central America.
Due to the fact I had a day flight, I arrived in the afternoon and thus had an evening to check out the central square. What made this one stand out from others is an architectural masterpiece: a library constructed by the government of China.
Rarely are libraries themselves a tourist attraction, but this one was fascinating and gargantuan, consisting of several stories.
The best part of all: the view from the top.
After meandering through the library for the better part of an hour, it was back down to the plaza. This consisted of more traditional architecture.
By now, it was nearly sunset, so it was time to head back to the hotel. On the way, there was a nice fountain.
And a nice pedestrian green area in general. Notice people just enjoying life.
There were two churches on the way back as well.
The ceiling of one of the churches was remarkable.
For dinner, I had pupusas. This is essentially the national dish of El Salvador. They consist of masa filled with cheese (and other things if you wish). I prefer simply cheese.
That was a perfect way to end the day. Now it was time to rest for the next day: a hike up a volcano.