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From Parque Cuscatlan, Alameda Roosevelt runs west towards Blvd de los Heroes. This latter is lined with fast-food restaurant chains, more upmarket restaurants and what is reputedly the largest shopping mall in Central America, the Metrocentro , three storeys of expensive boutiques, sports-goods outlets selling mainly US brands at US prices and a couple of well-stocked, though pricey, souvenir shops. The bookshop on the second level has a decent selection of English-language fiction and general interest books, postcards and US magazines, and there's also an Internet cafe and food hall. The mall remains unpopular with local left-wingers, who argue that the country's problems will be solved by building new homes, schools and hospitals, rather than rushing to indulge a US-inspired consumerism. Alameda Roosevelt continues west to the Plaza de las Americas , isolated amid eight lanes of traffic. Here, surrounded by small grassy lawns and benches, stands the national symbol, the Monumento El Salvador del Mundo , a large plinth showing Jesus standing on top of the globe. The main Telecom office (with international telephone and fax services, plus Internet facilities) is also located here, as are a number of banks and fast-food outlets. From here, the road changes its name again, to Paseo General Escalon , lined with ritzy restaurants, banks and upmarket businesses. The Paseo continues west, passing Plaza Beethoven (now officially renamed Plaza Republica de Argentina, though most people, including bus and taxi drivers, use the original name), the Galerias shopping mall (including a good bookshop, cinema and Internet cafe) and the British Embassy , before reaching Plaza Masferrer , home to an enormous national flag and some good pupuserias . The El Arbol de Dios art gallery (Mon-Sat 9am-6pm), south of Plaza Masferrer, on Av Masferrer Sur at C la Mascota, has a large collection of paintings and sculptures by Salvadorean artist Fernando Llort, renowned in particular for his naif style; there's also a pricey restaurant here. Beyond Plaza Masferrer are the rich suburbs of Colonia Escalon and Lomas Verdes , stretching high up onto the slopes of Volcan San Salvador.
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