Venezuela - Merida, high in the mountains

(these pics are not our usual quality, both cameras broke in Isla Margarita :( so we grabbed these examples from the net, better pics will come soon if we can get a new camera in Bogota!)

After a sweltering 2 weeks on Isla Margarita we desperately needed some cool UK style weather so a trip to the Andes and the town of Merida was organised.

We got the bus from Caracas, 20 hours - very comfy flat bed seats, and stayed in a lovely little Posada (hostel/hotel) called Suiza. After 2 solid days of sleep we got up and explored.

Fortunately for us that same weekend, April 20th 2010, the Venezuelans were celebrating 200 years of independence. Simon Bolivar is the man they all thank for uniting central and south America and defeating the Spanish. So for these national celebrations they got a public holiday and huge parades in every major town. Merida had a huge march featuring all the local public servants - firemen, police, army, mountain rescue, teachers, road sweepers - you name it they marched! Here is an article about the one in Caracas which the President Chavez attended http://venezuelanalysis.com/news/5295.

Merida is a jumping point for people looking for hardcore outdoor action in the mountains, just 20 minutes away are the highest mountain glaciers in Venezuela, Pico Bolivar being the tallest at over 5000m. Another reason to visit is the worlds longest and highest cable car system - unfortunately it's indefinitely closed for repairs - I was gutted as I thought Maudie may ask me to walk up the 4900m peak with her... thankfully she was too tired!

We really enjoyed Merida and it helped us to develop a more rounded view of Venezuela.

We left Venezuela on the 27th April for the Colombian border town of Cacuta and then an 18 hour bus trip to Bogota...

Venezuela - Los Llanos

After spending a few days getting over the hangover of our London friends visiting, we decided to go on a four day safari tour of one of Venezuela's most diverse flora and fauna regions - Los Llanos.

Situated in the south central region, the savanna goes for as far as the eyes can see and is flanked by 'gallery forest' on the edge of the plains, before the mountains of the Andes rise up around it.

We travelled from Merida with our tour guide Harry (http://www.venezuela-adventura.com/), Venod from NYC and Brendon from Oz. Everyone got on well, which is good as it took 12 hours to get there! in the back of a Land Cruiser.

We were promised Piranha fishing, the worlds biggest bird - the Jabaru stork, the worlds biggest rodent - the Capybara, the worlds biggest snake - the Anaconda and loads of other amazing birds and animals.

And did we see them.... yes we did, in abundance! We fished for fresh water bass (the Pabon), we found giant male and female anacondas, we fished and ate piranhas, we saw anteaters, giant mice, falcons, eagles, cute burrowing owls (who live underground in borrowed holes), giant cayman's - up close and personal as our guides caught them with their bare hands! The list is huge!

Maudie liked it on the roof of the jeep, and spend most of her time up their surveying the savanna, whilst I was tucked up inside. One night on the way back to camp, we experienced the firefly mating night - a once a year event, when the whole savanna is lit up by tiny lights as far as the eye can see. It was amazing!

The other bonus was Mango season, the camp was surrounded by huge mango trees, bursting with fruit as the 3 week season was in full swing. All you had to so was sit and wait for one to fall, wash it and eat it - that's real fresh fruit!

We booked it through the tour company inside the Posada Suiza in Merida (http://www.venezuela-adventura.com/), we can recommend both the tour agency and the hostel - great value and friendly service, in a family run place.