El Páramo: Explore Mérida, Venezuela
El Páramo A drive up through the Páramo’s alpine tundra ecosystems is a must on any visit to the city of Mérida, Venezuela. The views are spectacular, the small villages historic and colorful, each with its requisite plaza and church. There are highlights to enjoy all the way up the curvy road leading to Sierra Nevada […]
Mérida In-Town
Mérida is the principal city of the Venezuelan Andes. It was founded in 1558, and is known today for its high population of university and other students as well as a wide variety of attractions for tourists. The temperature is generally mild, and at higher altitudes downright cool. The highest peak in the country, Pico Bolivar […]
Mérida: Mountain High
Getting to Mérida Bus travel in Venezuela is generally quite smooth. If you´ve adjusted your mind to the general chaos that goes along with daily life in South America, overland travel can be quite enjoyable. It´s relatively comfortable and cheap (especially if you take an overnight bus and save a night´s accommodation). This was my third […]
Choroni
Choroni is a hopping little beach town and one of the more accessible for harried Caraqueños trying to escape the big city. That being said, we left for Choroni on Monday morning. Using public transportation to arrive is an adventure. The bus from Caracas to Maracay is no big deal, $2.50 and an hour and […]
Colonia Tovar
In 1843, a group of mostly German colonists (240 men and 151 women), arrived to establish a colony. After spending some time in quarantine due to a disease that had broken out on board, the group made the long walk up into the mountains outside Caracas. Most of them were from the Kaiserstuhl region, and the […]
Last Hurrah 2008
Between Christmas and New Year´s there was time to squeeze in a whirlwind trip to the Colombian border town of Cúcuta. We were able to catch a ride each way with two different friends. A couple of nights in Cúcuta allowed us to get a glimpse at the town, take out some pesos free from […]
Hallacas and Cuba Libres!
Caracas doesn´t seem to have changed too much since last time we were here. We´ve been laying kind of low, recuperating and relaxing at home. The family I have stayed with since my first visit to Venezuela in 2001 has welcomed us with open arms (including airport pickup by my lovely pesudo-cousin), and we´ve been […]