I lived in Venezuela for two years. I lived in Merida for one year of that time. Merida is a wonderful place to go. it is beautiful on it's own, but it is also a great launching point for tours of the other andean pueblos.

Weather
Merida is by far the coolest (temperature wise) town that I lived in. It was like spring all the time, though the sun can be very intense. There is a perennial cap of snow on the towering pico Bolivar that overlooks the city.

People
Say hello to people and smile. The people are friendly, but much more reserved than in many other cites, especially Maracaibo, where everyone is your "primo" or cousin. If you speak Spanish, you should speak in "Ud". I made many lifelong friends there. Venezuela is currently undergoing a bit of a political crisis. Don't talk politics. Merida is a University town, so there are some people who speak English.

Transportation
There is an excellent transportation system that is very cheap due to the constant student strikes. By excellent, I mean cheap and available. The busses are very crowded, and definitely an experience, but they have fixed rates and can get you anywhere you need to go for very cheap. Don't get on unless you know where it is going. There are many routes and it can be confusing. I found that locals were very helpful in recommending which bus you should take and would often wait to point it out to you.
On the plus side, you get to bang on the wall and yell "la parada" (the bus stop) when you want to get off. Taxis are less available in merida than in other towns, and you will pay more unless you speak spanish and have a good grip on prices. Determine a price beforehand. Taxis are exponentially more expensive than the buses.

Attractions
Merida has two Guiness Book of World Record records. The cable car system to the top of Pico Bolivar is the world's highest and longest. It was being repaired whenn i was there, but it is up and running now. I was sad I didn't get to take it to the top of the mountain.

Also take advantage of the Guiness Book of World Record holder for most ice cream flavors, the Heladeria Coromoto. It is an unasuming little shop in the downtown. They have over 500 flavors and will make about anything you want, but please don't get the black bean and garlic!

Merida has several shopping centers, like the Mercado Principal, where you can buy any souvenier you could imagine. YOu can negotiate the prices quite a bit if you are polite.

Visit the nearby towns of Mucuchies, Tovar and Bailedores. Bailedores has a beautiful park and waterfall. Make time for a trip to Pico Aguila and all the little towns along the way. At the top of the road there is a little store where you should definitely stop to have some hot chocolate and an arepa de trigo with cheese. I love the road between Merida and Trujillo. You can see centuries old walls and teraced hillsides still being plowed by oxen.

There are two "theme parks" El Venezuela de Anteyer and Los Aleros. They are a bit different than any where else I have been. They focus mainly on history, though Los Aleros had a bizarre "spook alley" for no apparent reason.

Lots of colonial towns have been very well preserved in the nearby mountains. Buy a guide book before you go, i loved my visits to those towns.

I have seen several adventure tours you can take through the Andes.

There are several festivals, and you should plan your travel to take advantage of them, or if you prefer, to avoid the crowds.

Food and Lodging
There a couple of very nice hotels in the downtown, and some good places to eat. I lived in a private apartment, so I am afraid i can't remember the names.

Merida is famous for it's bread, and there is a Panadaria on every corner. Try the cachitos de jamon.

Another typical andean dish is "pisca andina' a delicious soup. You can't leave venezuela unless you have tried the "arepas" white corn meal cakes. Also try the national dish pabellon criollo, shredded beef, black beans, rice, and fried plantain. I loved the food.

SAFETY TIPS
These are not to scare, just to keep you aware and safe.

The students at the ULA can get out of hand. Avoid the downtown when the students are rioting. They do riot! Don't get the wrong impression, Merida is a fairly safe town. Student riots are just considered to be a normal event. Though I did get a pretty hefty dose of tear gas once.

Don't drink unboiled water. I lived off soft drinks, and so will anyone else who doesn't want to risk a case of aomebas.

The Bus station is a higher crime area, don't let go of your bags.

Look around constantly when you are walking around. If you look aware you are a less likely terget for pick pockets, or crime of any type.

Stay out of the "barrios". ie.. don't go exploring in the low income housing developments.

Expect to pay more if you don't speak Spanish.

Don't attempt to hike in the high Andes without a guide. Fog rolls in and is incredibly dense. The temperature also drops in the evening. A group of German tourists were lost for days when i was there.




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