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Beyond San Vicente, the Carretera Interamericana continues through low mountains and coffee plantations before crossing the Rio Lempa , 30km past the city. This formidable natural boundary once afforded the Lenca inhabitants of the eastern territories some measure of protection, first against the Pipils and then against the Spanish. The Pipils called the area east of the river Popocatepetl, or "the land that smokes", presumably because of the number of active volcanoes. The first section of the highway gives bus drivers ample opportunity to fine-tune their high-speed cornering technique before crossing the mighty Lempa on the brand-new Puente Cuscatlan , which replaced the old bridge bombed by the FMLN in January 1984. The remains of the original bridge lie slumped in the river, a sobering reminder of El Salvador's recent history. At the village of Mercedes Umana, about 45km from San Vicente, a road heads south to the rough town of Berlin , the scene of much activity during the war and today the location of an important geo-thermal power plant. From here, hourly buses run along a road around the Volcan Tecapa to the more pleasant town of SANTIAGO DE MARIA , which has a couple of simple hotels. Halfway between the two towns is Alegria, from where paths lead up the volcano to the sulphurous crater lake Laguna de Alegria , an energetic walk of about one hour. This area is predominantly coffee-growing country, with plantations lining the slopes of the rolling mountains. From Santiago, buses run up to El Triunfo on the Carretera Interamericana, then continue on to San Miguel; from both Berlin and Santiago there are also regular connections south to Usulutan. Beyond El Triunfo the scenery changes: coffee pastures give way to dry plains dotted with the cones of volcanoes; to the south the land falls away to pasture lands and coastal mangrove swamps. A major crop in this area is henequen (sisal); fields of serried ranks of the distinctive, spikey grey-green plants line the highway into the distance.
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