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EXPLORE
EL SALVADOR |
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The rough and wild terrain of eastern El Salvador remained, in the
main, unexplored territory for the pre-Columbian Pipils, who did not
venture far beyond the natural frontier of the Río Lempa into this "land
that smokes" of lofty volcanoes, hot plains and mountain ranges. Its
Lenca inhabitants developed their society in isolation from the west,
and it was only with some reluctance and difficulty that the Spanish
conquered this frontier. Today, the region still remains separated from
the capital by distance and experience, with the wealth of the coffee
plantations around San Vicente and San Miguel contrasting cruelly with
the rural poverty found elsewhere. Refugees from communities devastated
by the civil war - eastern El Salvador saw the worst of the fighting -
have in the last decade returned to try and pick up the pieces in this
wild and beautiful area, but their struggle against poverty is painfully
apparent. Travelling here, while difficult, is thought-provoking and
moving; expect some reservation, even hostility, from locals and be
prepared to understand and accept the difficulties - of continual
poverty, unemployment, poor infrastructure and growing civil violence -
that people still face.
The charming city of San Vicente makes a convenient base for hiking up
the lofty peaks of Chichontepec and swimming in the Laguna de
Apastepeque . Bustling San Miguel , the third-largest city in the
country, is a transport hub, and a good place to recuperate from life on
the road, with the largely unexcavated archeological site of Quelepa and
the wetlands reserve of Laguna el Jocotal within easy reach. Buses head
north from here to the tranquil mountain villages of the Ruta de la Paz
, and the moving Museo de la Revolución Salvadoreña at Perquín .
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