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After crossing the boarder we passed cactus deserts, salt flats and were stopped 9 times for passport checks and identity card checks for the other passengers. There is a big football competition here in Venezuela and I think the security checks were for that. After a very confusing time at Maricaibo bus station, we caught a car towards Merida. The buses were leaving at night and we were ready to go by lunchtime. This car was a big comfortable Chevrolet station wagon. My car would sit on its bonnet, and probably use as much petrol in a week, that this one would take to start it. There 6 of us in the front of the car and one in the boot with the luggage. Getting out of the city we drove over the longest and highest bridge we've ever seen, it went for miles. We were happily driving along when the car ran out of petrol. Never been in a taxi that ran out of petrol before, lots of people stopped to give assistance and we limped to a petrol station down the road to fill up. It was really hot with tropical vegetation, many trucks of bananas going to market.
We got dropped at a bus station and shown another bus to catch to get to Merida.
We had not booked any accommodation and when getting into Merida we got a bit nervous, there were lights and flags and football displays over the streets. We thought the town would be full of football fans, but we struck it lucky again and managed to find a room in the Hotel Italia in the central part of the city.
After two long days of traveling we had a rare rest the next day staying in bed until lunchtime, just going for a walk about town in the afternoon. Merida is a great city, you walk downhill everywhere and catch a bus back up the top. Its a clean and tidy city, with new parks.
We walked for miles the next day to the Museum of science and technology, all down hill. It would be a great place to take children to spend the day. We caught a bus back to the hotel.
Sunday 8th, we got up early to go on the cable car. This is the longest and highest cable car in the world, going to 4,765
meters above sea level at the highest stop and 12.5 km long. We arrived early to cue, and had to wait from 7.30 until 1045 for our turn. We had 4 rides in 4 different cars to get to the top. The ride took about 2 hours and then I had a coffee at the highest Cafe in the world and we came down again. As we were coming down it was misty and the mist was turning to ice and coming in the window of the cable car, like little ball bearings of ice.
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