Beautiful Merida - Another Mile-High City |
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One of the more difficult areas to visit in Venezuela is the city of Merida. There is a great international airport located in the city, but the easiest flight into the area is from Caracas on a local flight. Merida is a city of almost 1 million residents, and has the largest university in the country (with more than 37,000 students). The casual traveller would enjoy the colonial architecture, the scenery in the mountains, the flora, and the fauna. There are so many things to do around the city that I would strongly advise travelling to visit. In addition, the weather is a constant, as it varies between 75 - 85 degrees Fahrenheit on a year-round basis.
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| Favourite spots: |
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Pico Bolivar (5,007 meters-about 3 miles) - this is located just outside the city of Merida. Back-country hiking, mountain climbing, and other mountain activities are the norm. Venezuela has more wild bird species than all of North America and Europe combined. A high percentage of these birds, including the giant Andes Condor, live here in Mérida. Those who enjoy bird-sighting will find a marvellous opportunity in the Merida area (and state). The plants include Orchids (the national flower), roses, and flowering trees such as the Golden Rain tree (the National Tree). These are in abundance, as well as citrus, strawberries, tropical fruits. Located within 10 - 20 kilometers are numerous waterfalls and hot mineral springs.
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| What's really great: |
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For me, the most enjoyable part of our trip was the food and the scenery. Although many people think of spicy foods when they think of Latin food, the majority of food in Venezuela is delicious, but not hot or spicy. My favorite dishes include the traditional Venezuelan national foods; Arepa, Cachapas, and Pabellon Criolla. The world's highest cable car takes one the majority of the distance to the peak of Pico Bolivar. Some beautiful scenery can be seen as one traverses this specialized means of travel.
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| Sights: |
Pico Bolivar - trek along the mountain and observe the natural beauty, the unique flora, and the diverse fauna.
What else do you seek? Perfect climate, fresh air, mountains, waterfalls, great landscapes? Try the four national parks, walk through a rain forest, fish in a beautiful glacial pool, look at waterfalls, or visit the hot springs.
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| Accommodations: |
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Casa Grande - located 15 miles outside of Merida, room begin at about $25 USD and range according to the number of people in your party. This is a typical posada, similar to a bed - and - breakfast.
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| Restaurants: |
Arepera La Reina - traditional arepas
Restaurante My Cachapa - when you want some great cachapas, visit this place.
Hotel y Restaurante San Remo - traditional Venezuelan food
La Casa del Páramo
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Published on Wednesday July 30th, 2003 by bear495
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