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Bookmark & shareA Top Day in Mérida
The day begins early, queuing up for the teleférico (cable car). I wolf down a deep-fried something, and relish a cup of Venezuelan coffee. Making friends with my neighbors, we shuffle forward in the queue. It's a long way to Pico Espejo, and we yak all the way to the top. Mérida spreads out before us and soon disappears into a smaller and smaller speck. Shivering in the thin, cold air, I stretch my legs at the top, and marvel at snow so close to the Caribbean.
Then it's down, down, down again, roasting in the sudden midday heat, and back to town for a quick change into shorts. Then lunch - crispy-crust pizza at Federico's, I think, or maybe pasta, if I'm in that mood. Back to the posada for a linger in the hammock, drinking in those gargantuan views.
But I have a date - a chance to meet some of the local birds. I'm going to fly - so I change into my boots and trousers, and off I go to the paragliding school for a lift to the jump point. By late afternoon I'm strapped to the belly of the instructor, and together we leap into midair. Half an hour later, as we land, I congratulate myself on using the toilet before I left.
When we get back to Mérida it's already dark. A shower, and then it's food time again, this time at La Abadía Del Angel, for some of the best grub in town. I eye the action at the bar while sipping my incredibly tiny Venezuelan beer, and devour my steak when it comes. The night has just begun, though, and I meet up with my new-found flymates for a drink at Hoyo de Queque, and salsa until the owner kicks us all out at . The night's still young, so we share a taxi to Café Calypso, for icy cocktails and techno until late, late, late... Bedtime waits for the dawn, when the sun's rays begin to sparkle over the mountain tops.
Author: Jens Porup
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