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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 Rio 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 Revolucion Salvadorena at Perquin .
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