The way to San Salvador led first to Joya de Ceren, a Mayan village from AD600 which was buried under a layer of ash during a volcanic eruption, rather like Pompei. The actual excavated buildings are behind a fence but the museum is interesting and shows what everyday objects were found inside.

We drove into the centre of San Salvador to have a look around. The busy streets are full of people milling around market stalls. We found a steel tube to replace the lost winch handle and also had curtains made for the side windows of the landy. A doris that we'd met in Antigua wasn't around so we decided to spend the night in La Libertad, a seaside town an hours drive south.

Returning the next day to San Salvador we waited in a shopping centre to meet the doris. Somehow she managed to not see us so we made a quick trip to the nearby volcanic crater of El Boqueron. Later on we successfully met the doris and her twin sister and all those infamous twin sister fantasies came true before our very eyes. We had a good night out, eating in a pupuseria (typical Salvadorean stuffed tortillas), and dancing in a disco. Arranging to meet the following day we waited in the wrong plac and they didn't take too kindly to being stood up twice in a row. Thinking that our chances of meeting any other such awesome dorises again would be pretty slim, we decided to head off to Perquin, centre of the 1980's guerrilla uprising in the far north east corner of the country.

Arriving in Perquin late in the day due to driving the wrong way for half an hour, we encountered a small village with a strange atmosphere. The streets were quiet apart from a few soldiers stood around. We went up the hill to the war museum which was closed but as luck would have it, the attendant was still there and he let us in. The museum building is the one that was used by the FMLN as a radio station during the civil war. The walls are covered in photos and propaganda posters chronicalling the war. Various bits of helicopters shot down with ground to air missile launchers (also on display), communications equipment, the usual AK-47s and some home made bombs are all there to see.

Fortunately the war is over and the country is peaceful. It was Friday night so we headed for San Miguel to find a disco. The proprieter let us stay in the car park around the back with an armed guard and let us in for free. Although the dancing and singing show was all very nice there weren't many dorises about. Fortunately the disco across the street was better and we were beckoned on to the dancefloor by an even lovlier pair of sisters than the ones from San Salvador. Unfortunately the Marengue skills still leave a lot to be desired.