Diario las Américas., 1958-05-03
Know thy
Nei9hbor
BY ANTONIO RUIZ

AouA , ullVe Sdn SALVADOR, on
the Fan American Highway, which
runs northwest toward the Guate-
malan border, is Lake Coatepeque
at the foot of the Santa Ana Vol
cano. Smaller than Lake Ilopango,
and more rustic, it is also called
Eye OF the Sea-" as it is COM
pletely hemmed-in by the wooded
hills that surround it, and its wat
ers are slightly saline. A favorite
vacation resort, it is visited by
thousands of persons from the CT
ties, who want to battle in its wat
ers which have mineral contents
comparable to the Vichy waters in
France.
Santa Ana, ten miles north of
Coatepeque, is a modern city of
active commerce and industries. 1t
is the second city of the Republic
and has a magnificent Cathedral,
well worth visiting, which is a
good example of Spanish-G othic
architecture. Santa Ana is the cen
ter of a region of great beauty and
interest. To the north is Lake Gui-
ia, on the Guatemalan border.
Hunters and fishermen find good
sport in and around the lake, and
archaeologists are very much in
terested in the prehistoric ruins of
its large island.
A few miles farther north is Me-
Japan, whose beautiful Cathedral
with its carved wood interior is
one of the best examples of colo
NAL art in Ell Salvador. To the west
is Chalhuapa, in the midst of ex-
tensive archaeological remains.
Pieces of pottery and carved stone
are constantly dug out of the
ground, especially among the ruins
of the pre-Hispanic city of Pampe
nearby. In the vicinity there are
places where hot lava oozes quietly
out of the ground. To the west is
the quiet town of Ahuachapan, in a
rich coffee growing district. The
climate is delightful, and there are
many pleasant and easily acceS-
sible resorts around Ahuachapan,
such as Llano del Espino, a large
grassy plain, and nearby Moline
River, tumbling down in the Falls
of Atehuacan, where the Electric
Light Company has made a park
for tourists.
Northeast of Ahuchapan are the
Falls Of Malacaiupan, which are
smaller, but unique because the
water ranges in temperature from
cool to hot, providing relief to per-
sons suffering various illnesses.
In the mountain to the south of
Ahuachapan is the town of Apane-
ca, famed for its flowers, which
are sent to all parts of the coun-
try, and near it is Laguna Verde,
a beautiful lake in the center Of
an eXtint crater.
About one mile from Ahuacha-
pan is the Volcanic Desert, which
is really worth visiting. On all
sides small cracks in the ground
emit steam and sulphuric vapors,
which the wind twists into weird
and fantastic shapes. Rambling
geysers, bubbling wells of mud and
multicolored soils, all add to the
impression that one is in a VERT
able inferno.
About SO miles west of San Sal.
vador is Izalco, located at the foot
of the volcano of the same name.
1t is really two towns one In.
dian and the other mixed Spanish
and Indian - merged into one,
but each still retaining distinctive
characteristics. Izalco and the In
dian villages of the region to the
north of it retain the dress and
many typical customs of olden
times. Many natives speal their
Indian language. The women wear
long skirts and loose blouses, SINH.
lar to the costumes of Guatema-
la.
The most interesting feature of
Izalco is the volcano itself. 1t first
appeared in ITO when it exploded
from the earth before the eyes OF
astounded residents of the near.
by city, and began to build itself
up, until today 1t has reached a
height of over 5000 feet.
Cnanich Uarcinn paoa q