Peace is sending slender roots into El Salvadoran soil. Several years have passed since the nation's bloody civil war ended, and former enemies are learning to resolve their differences with words instead of weapons. The government, made up of members of the right and the left, has begun the task of rebuilding the country. Be aware, however, that these roots are delicate, and their downward movement almost tenative. Peace cannot be said to have truly taken hold yet.

The Maya and Toltec civilizations built great cities in what is now El Salvador-the ruins are among the things to see. Then in 1524, the Spaniard Pedro de Alvarado, a lieutenant of Cortez, swept south from Mexico with 400 men and conquered Central America. El Salvador became part of the Captaincy of Guatemala. After the revolutions of 1810, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica made up the United Provinces of Central America. The union broke up in 1841.

In the years that followed, El Salvador suffered from political turmoil and a burgeoning population. Conservatives and radicals, under various guises and names, opposed each other while the Catholic Church first supported one side and then the other. Peasants, by far the majority of the population, were stuck in the middle. The civil war stemmed from land inequities (a few families owned the vast majority of land) and contested elections in the 1970s, which led to the 1980 death-squad assassination of a popular archbishop in front of his congregation. Soon after, the national army (supported by the U.S.) and military-backed death squads battled the leftist FMLN and killed and tortured thousands of civilians. Guerrilla forces, in turn, kidnapped members of the wealthy elite and demanded huge ransoms to support their fighting.

A U.N.-brokered peace accord went into effect in 1992. Under the agreement, troops from both sides are receiving pensions, land and other perks. Because of a lack of funds, however, the money has been slow in coming.

El Salvador is a picturesque nation with mountains in the north, valleys and plateaus in the center (where most people live) and a plains region along the Pacific Ocean. With five million people, El Salvador is the most densely populated country in Central America (Belize, by contrast, has 250,000).

When to Go
The best time to visit is probably mid October to November, just after the rainy season, when vegetation is green and lush. The dry season runs November-April-it will be very dry and dusty toward the end of this season. The rainy season runs May-October; rainfall can be heavy, but is usually in short bursts. Day temperatures are in the 80s-90s F/27-37 C, with nights in the 60s F/16-21 C. The coast is warmer than the higher elevations in the central region. Bring a sweater year-round for evenings and higher altitudes, where temperatures will be at least 10 degrees F/5 C cooler.

Dos and Don'ts
Do visit local markets on Friday, the market day in all towns...

Do watch two films focusing on 1980s wartime El Salvador: Salvador, by director Oliver Stone (criticizing U.S. policy during the war), and Romero, starring Raul Julia (about the 1980 murder of Salvadoran Archbishop Oscar Romero)...

Don't be surprised by the frequent loss of power and water in San Salvador. The outages normally last a few hours...

Do expect shops and restaurants to close for the two-hour siesta in the early afternoon...

Do be aware that there are still land mines in rural areas. If you are going off the roads, stick to well-used trails...If you're a guest in someone's home, do try some of every food served, compliment the hosts and leave a little food on your plate...

Do shake hands with children when you're introduced to them...

Don't address Salvadorans by their first names unless you know them well...

Don't bother looking for postage stamps anywhere but at the post office...

Do introduce yourself as a "U.S. citizen," if that's where you're from. Salvadorans consider themselves to be as "American" as anyone else on the continent...

Do see a soccer game if possible, but be aware that Salvadorans take the game very seriously. A war with Honduras broke out after a disputed 1969 World Cup playoff. Known as the "Soccer War," the four days of heavy combat left 3,000 dead...

Don't use hand gestures excessively, as it's considered bad manners. Be especially careful not to point your fingers or feet at anyone....