So cool it could be frozen (Merida, Venezuela)

Member Name: freediveheaven

Product:	Merida, Venezuela
Date:	27/10/09 (123 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Thrill seekers paradise

Disadvantages: Leaves you wanting more

This is a review of the city of Merida in Venezuela, I'm aware of at least one other city of the same name in Mexico and there may well be others but to be honest they would have to be something special to top Merida which has this excellent chilled out vibe that runs through the heart of the city and this is despite the fact that it has some petty bad traffic problems with cars clogging its narrow streets that are arranged on a grid system similar to the preferred style of most American cities and towns.

Merida is the capital of the state bearing the same name and is located in the North West of the country close to the Columbian border and surrounded by the magnificent Andes mountains, my reason for visiting was those very mountains and a particular peak we were going to climb as part of a five day trek into the mountains, prior to that I spent two days in Merida preparing for the expedition and a further couple of days upon our return. Merida is an adventure junkie paradise with a whole range of activities available which includes white water rafting, trekking in the mountains, jeep safaris and paragliding as well as parachuting and bungee jumping. If you want to get a natural high then head for Merida you will not leave disappointed.

You can fly into Merida as it has its own airport about 2km from the city centre however we arrived by overnight coach. Be aware that like many Venezuelan cities there are two bus stations, the long haul one which is about 4km from the centre and then the one that provides local services which is located in the centre of the city, transferring into the city can be either by local bus or taxi which was the option we went for, you can walk it but you are looking at a good fifty minute walk along traffic heavy streets and up a slope as well so it is not recommended especially as the taxi ride is about $4.

Finding your way around the centre of Merida is easy as it is a grid system and the city slopes from north west to south east which means that you can always get your bearings, uphill s always north and west while downhill is south and east, it certainly makes life easy and combined with the numbered grid system it is a nice city to stroll around. It is an easy city centre to walk around and you can cover the central zone easily in a day.

I loved Merida, it is a student town with some 50k students in the city so it has a fresh feel to it and was also one of the safest cities I visited in Venezuela, I felt very relaxed at night walking through the streets and it was a lively well illuminated city. At night the two lower numbered avenues are best avoided as these are known red light areas but the rest of the streets were safe enough provided you are sensible. It is also a stunningly beautiful city; surrounded by the Andes the snow capped peaks provide a spectacular backdrop to some excellent architecture. Dominating the views is the imposing Pico Espejo which is 4765m high, unfortunately the Teleferico De Merida is currently out of service and so you cannot make the two hour journey up to the summit where on a clear day the views would be spectacular provided you were not weighed down with a bout of altitude sickness.

There is so much to see and do in Merida, many people arrive planning on staying for a couple of days and then stay for two weeks, the city sort of sucks you in to its easy life style and there is always something to do. Like all cities in Venezuela a good starting point is the Plaza Bolivar which is a bustling centre with the beautiful Catedral de Merida in one corner, check out the cool gargoyles and stone birds carved into the side of the building. Just off this square I found one of my favourite streets in Merida, a tree lined little oasis of calm where all along the walls are photographs of students from the universities graduation ceremonies which are available for sale from freelance photographers.

For art lovers I would recommend the Museo de Arte Moderno Juan Astorga Anta which appears to be housed in a hideous car par style building but actually the way the art is displayed almost in an al fresco style makes it a wonderful place as you never know what you might stumble across next.

For those wanting to shop and to pick up some souvenirs I would recommend the Mercado Principal which has some excellent craft outlets and the best of the lot is on the ground floor run by Victor the second coolest guy in Merida, second only to Jose Ramón his fellow trekking guide. Also while there on the second floor there is an excellent food hall which is a great place to have lunch.

Food options are plentiful in Merida with some excellent small cafes offering good value menu of the day which are fixed price two or three course meals and are great for those on a budget, it all boasts some good bakeries, and it was the only place in Venezuela where I ate good quality bread. To finish off your meal and to sort of satisfy your sweet tooth you must visit the Heladeria Coromoto which is in the Guinness Book of Records for the most ice cream flavours on the menu, 900 in total with some truly frightening flavours including salmon (with the odd fish bone still in it) Mexican chilli, beef burger and for those needing a special sort of pick me up Viagra. Of course there are also the more traditional options like fruit based ice creams but the place is a must see experience.

Accommodation is plentiful with top class hotels and some superb Posadas as well for those on a budget, there are also some truly dodgy places and I can certainly recommend not staying at Hotel Italia unless you are flat broke. It pays to haggle as there seems to be lots of capacity so it is a buyers market at the moment.

There are numerous tour and adventure companies who can arrange activities, my personal favourite had to be the wonderfully named Fanny Tours and Adventures. However we were already booked in with the excellent Notura for our trek and they are highly recommended as providing an efficient and quality service, so confident are they that they are also quite hard to find being located a little away from the other trekking firms' offices however such is their reputation this is not an issue for them. They also boast two of the coolest guides in the whole of Venezuela.

As you can probably tell I fell a little in love with Merida, I loved the totally relaxed vibe the city gives off despite the traffic and the hustle and bustle. The university buildings are stunning to walk around and the views are excellent of the mountain tops. It is also packed with adventure sport options and you can easily spend two to three weeks there and have a brilliant time. Highly recommended and a must see on any tour of Venezuela.

Summary: Top destination in Venezuela