11-hr Layover in El Salvador

 San Salvador is the capital city of El Salvador (my 101th country covered during 11-hr layover), approximately in the center of the country in a valley near the base of the San Salvador volcano. The SAL Airport (El Salvador International Airport) has no luggage storage service, so I took my bags with me in the 1-hr bus ride （$0.61) from the airport to San Salvador. 

To reach the local buses; cross the big parking lot in front of the airport terminal. Then go through an open building at the opposite side of the parking (behind trees) to reach the road. There is a bus-stop at the side of the building by the road.

Fortunately, the National Library of El Salvador opens 24hrs and has a free luggage storage service, so I dropped my bags there, filled up cool drinking water, and enjoyed the city view from the rooftop of the library. 

San Salvador offers a mix of historical landmarks, cultural institutions, and natural attractions, including a nearby volcano. The downtown area has been revitalized and is a popular place to visit. The attractions such as the National Palace, National Theater of El Salvador,  Metropolitan Cathedral, Somasca El Calvario Church, and some museums are pretty close, except the volcano. 

I also visited two local markets to taste PUPUSAS and local fruit. On of the market is next to the central cemetery, so I visited the cemetery as well. A pupusa is a thick griddle cake or flatbread from El Salvador and Honduras made with cornmeal or rice flour stuffed with one or more ingredients including cheese, beans, chicharrón, or squash. It can be served with curtido and tomato sauce and is traditionally eaten by hand. I ate 1 kg of Rambutan (红毛丹） by myself which is a medium-sized tropical tree in the family Sapindaceae native to Southeast Asia. It is closely related to several other edible tropical fruits, including the lychee, longan, pulasan, and quenepa.

To get back to the airport before dark, I took the same bus line 138 from “Terminal de Microbuses a San Luis Talpa RUTA 138 Aeropuerto”.  I fell in sleep wuickly during the last flight back to Washington, and finished reached home.