The night was really refreshing at a temperature of 20 degrees. I have had a feeling of this climate, a climate in a region close to the equator and at the same time high in the mountains, when I was for half a day in the German colony Tovar close to Caracas. Now for the second time I had the chance to stay in a spring climate like this and together with the fact that I did not encounter a quick solution to the border problem I prepared myself for a brief stay in Merida. I wanted to visit the local marine museum this morning but it was under reform, so I changed for a drive to the National Park Sierra La Culata.

I went out of the city and even higher into the mountains to find out about tourist exploitation in this mountain region. The region was very popular all over Venezuela. Due to the loss in value of the currency, travelling outside Venezuela was almost impossible or only possible for the upper class that had Dollar accounts. Everybody else, if at all, had the choice between the beach and hot air or the mountains and a fresh breeze. I had noticed yesterday lots of hotels around the center of Merida and on my drive now into the mountains and the small villages this continued.

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The hotels in the mountains had a different and a more family orientated layout.  Almost at the end of the mountain road I visited a family park with a small animal touch Zoo, horse riding, playground, mountain climbing wall, indoor swimming pool, hiking, mountain biking and more. I was thinking of my baby Matilda, she would have loved to stay here for a week. It was not the best day for distant views but still the panorama was stunning. I had not been in the mountains for ages and had forgotten about this. A small river was running right next to the family park down to the valley and the city and I made use of the crystal clear, cold and refreshing water.

I was looking for a place to have lunch but the majority of the restaurants were closed and the few that were open too expensive. I went back to Merida and straight to the Zoo. The Zoo Chorros de Milla was located on a small plateau at the end or the beginning of a narrow valley within the natural forest, with impressing natural stone formations and a small stream coming down from the mountains.

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The trees gave enough shade against the heat, the temperature at midday still reached 32 degrees and the sun at the height of the city was very intense. I walked slowly up the hill to the end of the Zoo, when the valley became even narrower and only a path continued to two waterfalls further up. The combination of what could easily have been a National Park, a Botanical Garden and a Zoo in a very natural setting impressed me and I had not seen something similar before. I made use of several benches and stayed a long time in actually a quite small Zoo.

I still had time and went quickly to the cyber café and worked a bit on the site before I went home, or better with my home to the university hospital. Yesterday I had a normal hamburger at the snack stand and tonight I wanted to have the special hamburger.

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