Joost and Joyce on Harmony turned up on Sunday morning. They had arrived at the meeting point just on dusk and decided to use the waypoint(s) they had to come in in the dark. Things were going fine, says Joost, in 51 feet of water when suddenly they were aground. Luckily this happened near low tide, so they anchored and enjoyed the waves, the lean as low tide came, and the darkness --- I think Joost was fuming a bit! In they morning, they kedged off and the guide panga, which had taken another boat out, led them in.

Since the fridge has to be turned off while we�re away from the boat for more than a day or two (the solar panels don�t quite keep up with the 12 volt refrigeration), we had to do something about all of the fish we had. Sal organized a cruiser�s potluck, to be held at the cabin where the crew of Michele is staying while their boat is in the yard. The whole anchorage participated and it was a great night. Our contribution was the fish and homemade corn tortillas.

We made arrangements for a minibus to take us to San Salvador, leaving early on Monday morning. We piled in with Joost, Joyce, and Susanne. The 8 miles of dirt road took us out of the jungle and into the sugar cane fields. This is harvest time and they first burn the fields to clear the leaves. The other traffic on the road was cane workers, walking and riding bicycles to and from the fields. They all carry machetes and those that are leaving the fields are covered in the black soot from the burning. The land is flat, pimpled with volcanic cones---Tane says the scene reminded him of Cambodia. On the paved road we encounted all manner of traffic, from semis to ox-carts with wooden wheels.

After an hour or so, we pulled off into a road that was lined with pupuserias. Pupusas are discs made of corn and rice flour, and with embedded extras---you can choose all kinds of fillings, from spinach and cheese to shrimp and chicharones (pork rind). This is a national dish, and they�re delicious.

Our attempts to get money from a couple of ATMs on the way failed for some reason, but worked in San Salvador. The driver took us first to a craft place, then to the downtown cathedral, then to lunch at a restaurant on a hill overlooking the city. The view and the meal were great. Here we saw our first toucans---in a cage. The driver then dropped the three of us at a hotel we�d arranged. Walking around the neighborhood we encountered armed guards every few houses---not just at the corners as we saw in Uruguay. They are everywhere, and when we returned from dinner, we asked the proprietor about it and she told us it was because the president�s house is nearby. Still, so far, El Salvador takes the prize for the greatest density of security personnel. The city of San Salvador, with over 2 million people, is not considered particularly safe by the guidebook authors, and we had the feeling we wouldn�t want to be in certain areas at night.