Like Guatemala, El Salvador has a violent and bloody history. The civil war began in 1980 and ended in 1992
We began our with a visit to the Guerilla encampment which was in use for 3 years
and a tour with Mario our guide
of the radio tent
and various military hardware
photos of guerillas
bit of a helicopter shot down ad discovered in the jungle in 2010
a hole in the ground where ammunition was stored
a kitchen
a hospital
where we were told sympathetic doctors from around the world would volunteer their skills, a tunnel
a couple of bridges across the river in the rainy season
There were signs that we crossed the bridges at our own risk. I would not want to be in a hurry to get across! Here is a trip wire, attached to a small rocket
bits of a bomb impaled in a tree
The tour was in Spanish, but Mario was very patient and helped us enormously to understand. We left the way we arrived through a curtain made of spent bullet shells
Then we went for a walk to the Mirador which promised to offer spectacular views. Our walk took us through more encampment which has been less well preserved
another hospital
a bomb crater
and finally the vista
and a few moments to reflect
Next we visited a recreation of Radio Venceremos
(the walls are lined with egg boxes) and the museum. Then we headed back to our hostel to prepare to leave 
and
our room was the open door. Then we headed to El Mozote
A small village with a tragic past. We wanted to see the memorial for the men women children and foetuses massacred by their own government
We visited the Garden of Reflection
which contained a beautiful mural with all the names of the children who were murdered
It depicts the strength and endurance of the human spirit.
El Mozote felt bleak, a scarred soul etched on the faces of the folk we passed who are old enough to remember. It was a deeply moving experience and a further reminder of man's inhumanity to man.
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