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After passing through Arambala, the road begins its final climb to PERQUIN , a small and - given its history - surprisingly friendly mountain town, set in the middle of glorious walking countryside. During the war the town was the FMLN headquarters, from where they broadcast to the nation on the (literally) underground station Radio Venceremos ("We Will Triumph"). Attempts by the army to dislodge the guerrillas mostly failed, leaving the town badly damaged and deserted. Today, the "town that refused to die" has repaired most of its buildings, although the scars of war are evident everywhere, and nearly everyone has a horrendous tale to tell. Even so, there is today a sense of optimism and a determination to rebuild the community. Perquin's main draw is the moving Museo de la Revolucion Salvadorena (Tues-Sun 9am-4pm; US$1.25), set up by ex-guerrillas in the wake of the 1992 peace accords. The curators travelled throughout the country collecting photographs and personal effects of those who died during the fighting, and notices request that visitors donate more in order to expand the collection. There is a succinct summary (in Spanish) of the process leading to the beginning of the armed struggle; displays of arms and weaponry confiscated from the army and weapons - including missile launchers, bombs, guns and grenades - disabled after the signing of the peace accords; and examples of international propaganda aimed at bringing the events in El Salvador to the world's attention. Outside is the bomb crater left by a 1981 explosion and a mock-up of a guerrilla camp - the crude bent-wood and palm-leaf constructions offered little shelter but could be erected and dismantled quickly. Behind the museum you can see the remains of the helicopter that was carrying Domingo Monterrosa (architect of the El Mozote massacre) when it was shot down by the FMLN in 1984. The most moving exhibits are perhaps the anonymous transcripts of witnesses of the massacre, and drawings by refugee schoolchildren, depicting events as they saw them. A separate room contains the transmitting equipment and studio used by Radio Venceremos . Using subterranean sound rooms to evade detection, the station broadcast every afternoon throughout the war on a number of frequencies, transmitting the guerrillas' view of events, as well as interviews and music. After the peace accords, the station received an FM licence in August 1992, and is now based in San Salvador - ironically, in offices rented from a member of the ARENA Party. Now a commercial, mainstream station playing a mixture of Latin American sounds and US rock, Venceremos has been heavily criticized by some of its former listeners for accepting all manner of commercials, as well as electoral advertisements from all political parties. If you decide to stay in Perquin, the friendly El Gigante (up to US$5), five minutes' walk from town back down the road to Gotera, has clean, communal rooms with shared bath, and a small comedor. The more upmarket Hotel Perquin Lenca (tel 680 4046, fax 680 4080, perkin@netcomsa.com ; US$15-25), 1.5km south of town, has solid wooden cabins with bath, hot water and hammocks, and an excellent restaurant and bar. Breakfast is included, and advance booking is recommended. Other places to eat in town are the small comedores, Blanca and Las Palmeras , both just off the main square, and the friendly La Muralla on the Parque.
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