Merida: a little background description

This is supposed to be the dry season. Unfortunately, the correct description is probably the drier season. By the afternoon, it starts to cloud up and by the evening, it starts to rain, usually pretty heavy. The good news is that it stops raining by morning. But it sure doesn´t make you feel like going out anywhere after dark, if it´s pouring down rain. Maybe that´s good!
Merida lies in a valley at about 4000 feet with high impressive mountains all around. The town has about 300,000 people and is about the 5th or 6th biggest city in the country. It´s home to the University of the Andes, which is a very large university. The U. and the city grew up at about the same pace, so the univ. is found in different buildings all over the city.
When we think of the Andes, we usually think of the high mountains which run up the western side of South America. They constitute the border between the narrow strip of Chile and the vast expanses of Argentina. As they go north through Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador, they provide the kind of scenery we think of when we see photos of Machu Pichu.
Merida is at the very tail end of the Andes. The Andes make a right turn in Columbia and push just a little bit into Venezuela. So the Andes either end or begin in Merida, depending upon whether you´re a Chilean or a Venezuelan.
In the morning when I walk to school I can look up and see the highest peak, Pico Bolivar. Mauna Kea, on the Big Island, is equally as high, but it is far away so its height is nowhere near as dramatic as Pico Bolivar. At 14,000 feet, Pico Bolivar is right THERE, in your face, and causes me to look up and up and up, craning my neck to marvel at it.
It´s also a weird feeling because it´s 70 to 80 degrees in Merida, and one can see snow year round on the top peaks. It´s truly dramatic.
Merida lies in a valley between these high mountains. When the 2 engine prop plane comes in to the local airport, it makes a U-turn right up against the side of these impressively steep mountains and lands on a strip the size of Quincy´s.
Merida boasts the 2d highest cable car in the world. The cable car ride consists of 4 sections and requires 4 hours to go the whole 8 miles and 10,000 feet up to the second highest peak, Pico Espejo. Needless to say, the temperature at the top is similar to the top of Mauna Kea; in other words, freezing-___ cold! So, at the bottom, they rent winter jackets and gloves to the tourists.
Walking down the streets, it´s nice to see small shops where some guy repairs small appliances and sells his refurbished ones. One major difference from some Central American countries: many of the shops are closed on both Saturday and Sunday!
Until later!