El Salvador achieved independence from Spain in 1821 and from the Central American Federation in 1839. A 12-year civil war, which cost about 75,000 lives, was brought to a close in 1992 when the government and leftist rebels signed a treaty that provided for military and political reforms.

Angry Geese at the border crossing between. El Salvador and Guatemala

This was one of the first things that I saw entering El Salvador at the border crossing station. Gives you a comforting feeling.

Notice the stop sign says "Alto". Santa Ana is a small city, but pretty modern compared to the countryside. As you can see by the signs, automobiles, and houses in the background.

A typical set of markets.

Chicken buses are the national means of transportation. They take you from one city to another, and are essentially old school buses from America. I felt like a 6th grader again. Each bus is brightly, and decoratively painted and personalized on the inside (as you can see here).

This photo was shot in the countryside on my journey from Anguiatu to Metapan to Chalchaupa to San Salvador.

Laundry is hung out to dry. Being a carribean country, the weather is nice all year round. Clothes are handwashed.

Tazumal is actually a complex of about 400 individual excavation sites.

The Maya, Aztec and Pipil all built their campfires in El Salvador at one time or another. Evidence has been found that indicates that the some regions had been inhabited since 200 BC, although most construction occurred after 600 AD.

Most ruins remain hidden under grassland. Like Tazumal, the low step pyramids are mostly covered in smooth concrete, leaving little of the original structures visible.

The artifacts found at Tazumal provide evidence of ancient and active trade between Tazumal and places as far away as Panama and Mexico.

A cemetary abutts against Tazumal.