Sean

a friend and i are trying to choose one or the other for a quick trip in a couple of weeks, plenty of info on guatemala out there but not so much on el salvador...

so far we are leaning toward el salvador... seems less touristy, funny how civil wars do that, but still haven't decided yet.

if anyone has any advice on which would be the better 4 day trip for ppl that can rough it and like to party i would apprecite it. thanks

__________________
We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.

Somnambulation

Didnt they once have a war over the outcome of a soccer game? Not sure who won.

Joker

Salvador is a pretty rough country for foreigners on account of their relatively recent history. This comes from a native I work with.

But I think WWMike has been there...

__________________
Misadventures of a Crazed Kitchen Pirate

"Steve is the prototypical cool American male. Y'know, I'm talking about Steve McGarrett, alright? Steve Austin, Steve McQueen. Y'know, he's the guy on his horse, the guy alone. He has his own code of honor, his own code of ethics, his own rules of living, man. He never, ever tries to impress the women but he always gets the girl."

LostFarmboy

Yeah, i've been to both, but i only went to San Salvador in El Salvador so i don't really know what the rest of the country is like.

Guatamala is bloody fantastic, one of my favorite countries in the world. It has the Tikal ruins, they are some of the best you will see anywhere in the world. It also has a few volcanos you can hike up, which is a pretty cool experience. Also, my favorite village in the world is in Guatamala - San Pedro, it's on the banks of Lake Atitlan, i had sooooo much fun there.

I was only in El Salvador for 4 days, but it seemed like a pretty cool place and i'll definately be back there some day to see some more of it. The locals are really friendly, las chicas son muy bonitas, and it's supposed to have some pretty good beaches.

__________________
My adventures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nickt0909/

thatgirlwholaughs

my vote goes to guatemala, though lack of tourists in salvador is enticing. yup, that was completely unhelpful. lake tatitlan is way neat.

worldwidemike

I would have to say that Guatemala has more sights to see (as LFB says, Tikal is amazing), but El Salvador is pleasantly "off the beaten path." Feel free to click on my website link below and read the travelogues for both. Incidentally, the capitals of both countries are not the best places to hang out. You have to get out in the countryside to really experience either place.

Thankfully, the bus services for each are great, the people friendly and will help you find the right bus if you don't speak Spanish -- both are great experiences.

Feel free to ask any specific questions...I'd be happy to help. As you'll see when you read the travelogues, I was in each country for less than a week each -- so I'm no expert.

worldwidemike

__________________
Check out my travel web page at:
Worldwidemike.com
"Life is not measured in the number of breaths we take, but by the places that take our breath away..."

sarg123

I'm probably a little late for this, but if you are still deciding my vote is Guate (although I didn't make it to El Salvador). There is so much to see and do there and the people are amazing. I just got back from a little under two months there and it was unbelivable, Tikal, Lago de Aititlan, Volcan Pacaya, Rio Dulce, Semuc Champey, Languin, and my home of Antigua- good times everywhere.

DJ_VeeeNoM

((( Statues by Moloko ))) :greenguy:

Guatemala has awsome beaches! black snad nice surfin' spots it's made sweet! I have never been to El Salvador but I have an Oompa Loompa friend of mine that is from there and it seems tough.

( Oompa Loompa; it's a short Central American that only works and gets drunk at the local bars of New Jersey. These can be found doing hard labor or in the laundry).

__________________
Life comes and goes, stay in motion & it will never pass you by.
Live off your parents, until you can live off your kids.

Sean

hey guys, thanks ( a year later ) for the replys. we ended up getting an $11 a day micro car and a dodgy insurance certificate and hit both guatemala and el salvador, and then honduras for good measure. had a blast everywhere, especially isla del tigre, miami (on the honduran coast, we were the only tourists that had been there in weeks) and san salvador (rocked out all night with salvadoreno metal-heads). the only place i would advise people to avoid is la union in el salvador. it is a total sh*t hole and we almost got car jacked. el salvador is a bit shady in general though, as we were driving into the capital a bunch of police with face masks swarmed this car from out of nowhere and carried off the people from inside and no one seemed to take too much notice...

__________________
We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.

glitterhairdye

That sounds like an insane trip. How long did you go for? I want to go down there...

__________________
I've been to 25 countries! Ask me where!
“Our battered suitcases were piled on the sidewalk again; we had longer ways to go. But no matter, the road is life.” – Jack Kerouac
"I set out alone, finding no companion to cheer the way with friendly intercourse, and no party of travellers with whom to associate myself. Swayed by an overmastering impulse within me, and a long-cherished desire to visit those glorious sanctuaries, I resolved to quit all my friends and tear myself away from my home."
---Ibn Battuta, CE 1325

Sean

it was actually just 6 days, we found a 200 something dollar ticket from la and just went. it's an awesome place!

__________________
We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.

freespiritz

Sounds like a blast, although judging from my experience in Central America... I was happy to not be the one driving (and everyone needs to ride a chicken bus sometime!).

__________________


Check out my band!