San Salvador, El Salvador: I`m in San Salvador, the capital of El Salvador, and allegedly, a VERY dangerous city. But of course, it`s dangerous, but not any more dangerous than some neighborhoods in L.A. In fact I used the ATM machine last night at 10pm, and went for a bite to eat a half hour later. It`s like any big city, it has its nice spots, and ugly parts.

I arrived yesterday, from Guatemala City, which does appear to be very dangerous. I was only there for 3 hours, but you can just feel the tension. I was mostly at the bus station, but gained the courage to walk four blocks on either side of the station. Didn`t get mugged, but felt uneasy enough to not take another step further from the bus depot.

But, Guatemala, generally, was an amazing country. I arrived in Guatemala, via Palenque, about three weeks ago. The border crossing was fascinating, a van, a boat, and another small shuttle. I headed to Flores, Guatemala, a small island town, where I spent the night, only to be close to Tikal (ancient Mayan ruins). I contracted a virus (on my camera`s memory chip) along the way, so couldn`t take any pictures. But luckily, my friend did, and i`ve tagged myself on some of her photos on Facebook. Check them out.

From Tikal, I headed to the orphanage, in Rio Dulce, for two weeks. Then to Antigua. The next stop was supposed to be a lake town, called Panajachel. But after consulting with other travelers, I changed the destination to San Pedro. It was a good move.

San Pedro is a hippie town. The two girls I was traveling with, loved it. Since they`re a bit hippiesh (is that a word?) themselves. Or at least they love the whole hippy culture. If you know me, you know that I am quite the opposite. Very straight laced, conservative, etc, etc. So the trip to San Pedro was a growing experience for me. I was trying to become more "open minded". I guess it worked, i`m not sure. There are a few things I can learn from such a laid back attitude. One is to relax. The folks there were in no hurry, for anything. And they seem to get by just fine. Two,... I can`t think of two things I learned from them. But one is better than nothing!

San Pedro is also a nice place to visit for the scenary. Set among a lush green forest, overlooking Lake Atitlan, San Pedro could be atop anyone`s vacation destination list. We kayaked for four hours, and had lunch on a private beach one day. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches! It was delicious. We went with a couple of Israeli soldiers, who had some pretty interesting stories to tell. I`ve heard lots about Israeli travellers, but these guys were cool. Of course, there are two sides to every story, but hearing their side was interesting. They say they love the Palestinian people, and most of them have no problem with Israeli`s, but it`s the leadership of Hamas that hinders peace. I`ve thought that all along, but i`ve never had the opportunity to speak to a member of Hamas, so I only know one side of the story. Who knows? I just hope they figure something out over there. A lot of history in that region.

Last Wednesday we were supposed to leave San Pedro, but there was only one shuttle bus leaving town, and it was full. So we took a 15 minute boat ride to another lake town, Panajachel, and hired a shuttle from there. A three hour bus ride turned into 5! We were waiting on the side of the road for a connecting shuttle for what seemed like forever. But eventually we got back to Antigua, so I could be closer to Guatemala City.

From Anitgua, caught a bus to Guatemala City, then to El Salvador, where I am today. Sad story about a traveler on the bus. Apparently immigration in Guatemala stamped his passport incorrectly, so they wouldn`t let him into El Salvador. He had to get off the bus, and fix his situation. The bus (we) left him. I felt horrible for the guy. He would probably have to spend the night on the border. The most dangerous part of any country. I hope he`s ok.

I`m staying at the Villa Serena Hotel; quite expensive, but safe. 26 bucks a night, with breakfast. Way out of my budget, but it was the place closest to the orphanage, and safest.

The accomodations are nice. I even have a TV in my room. I haven`t watched TV in weeks! Probably a good thing.

I`m off to the orphanage...

Everything is going great, hope all is well at home.

I love you all,

Michael