Excerpt from El Salvador of the Magic Table LandsIn our consciousness an impression of the picturesque land of the In cas; Italy! And perhaps we think of the loveliness of the Bay of Naples in the neighborhood of Sorrento. So, too, El Salvador has its nat ural phenomena, its beauty spots for tourists (that should be double starred in travelers' guide books, its relics of ancient races, its quaint and busy cities with their artistic works of architecture. In the world there is not a more wonderful volcano than Izalco, which, more than four generations ago, ascended from the plains and has since remained active. There is not a more wonderful lake in the world than Ilopongo, distant about 10 miles from San Salvador, the capital, and connected with it by a splendid highway. A fine national road which, at one point, cuts the mountain side 800 feet above the surface of the lake also comes in from San Vicente. Ilo pongo is an alluring spot for bathers, for the people of the Republic thoroughly appreciate the charms and advantages of their own country. It is the watering place for San Salvador, with hotels, bath houses, and launches. The surrounding ridges and mountains are beautiful and colorful and dip into the lake steeply. Viewing this superb sheet of water, with the near-by eminences verdure clad or colored by past volcanic eruptions, with drifting clouds casting their ¿eeting shadows upon its surface, one has a feeling that he is far from the haunts of man, until perchance his eye lights upon a launch far below, sending its ripples over the expanse of waters. There are in the world no finer mountain peaks than those of El Salvador. The volcanoes Santa, Ana, San Miguel, San Vicente, Usulutan, Zatecoluca, and San Salvador, rising from Santa Teclas and half a hundred others have all the characteristic beauty of the symmetrical volcanic eminences elsewhere in Central America. In the healthful uplands or mountain basins, where a larger part of the population lives, feet or more above sea level, are to be found tree-shaded cities and rich country districts that in charm and interest will repay richly every moment the traveler will spare them. The healthful climate gives rise to a vigorous and enterprising p0pula.About the PublisherForgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.comThis book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
