After 16 hours on a bus through three checkpoints, self-catered lunch at a toilet block on the side of the road and the final hours spent winding up and down the Andes, we reached Mérida in western Venezuela.
I was hamstrung for available activities by a lack of funds due to ATMs not working, being ripped off using the official exchange rate for my USD and the optional extras not available on credit card. Instead I joined a small group of us for a bush walk through the forest to overlook the river before getting the local bus back to town.
Back in town we indulged in strawberries and icecream before taking a spin down to the main plaza, Plaza Bolívar. As it is Easter week – Semana Santa – the place was packed with people wearing purple robes with gold trim – it would seem the cathedral colour is violeta – purple. I could smell resin incense that I smelt being burnt in shaman houses in Mexico. Stalls sold purple candles, purple robes, figurines of Jesus carrying his cross and the posts were plastered with posters of a clearly photoshopped Jesus promoting a production of JC Superstar. And not a single chocolate egg or bunny in sight.
A hit on a bodega for a bottle of my first ever Venezuelan rum made the town excursion complete and I enjoyed a few beverages before dinner. Poco Loco club up the road provided us some light entertainment in the form of beers, dancing and socialising with the locals in our Spanglish. The ugly lights came on at midnight since the following day was Good Friday. A few local hangers-on followed a while up the road hoping for some action but didn’t follow us too far home. I managed to break my thongs on the way home and get into bed without waking my roommate…not all a bad night. 😉
The following day was quiet, a walk through town to the Guinness record ice cream shop – over 800 flavours! The line up talked us out of waiting to sample any flavours, and how would I choose just one flavour?
The scenery up to high mountains, colonial buildings, locals on holiday and no fixed plans made for a relaxing stay in Mérida up until the last night when speakers found their way into the plaza opposite the hotel and noise and music blared until deep night, and started again at 2-3am. Not cool. Made the 4:30am wake up call a bit hard to swallow.