Merida Followup for New Bound
A few general questions:
1. What was it like getting to Merida? Did you go by plane? What are the logistics?
I had made plane reservations through a Venz carrier in Miami for the CCS to Merida leg. Unfortunately, I was delayed in Customs and Immigration and missed the national flight that I had made a reservation for. It was Saturday, early afternooon, and all the other flights for the day were sold out on both national carriers which fly there. OW fare was around $100. It was either wait on the long standby list or come back the next day. I eventually decided to just get to the Bus Station and get to Merida ASAP. The station (I think La Bandera) had several express executive buses but unfortunately they all were evening departures. So I waited for several hours at the station and endured the way too long bus ride. It was a beautiful new Volvo sleeper bus with seats that fully reclined and was an enjoyable passage. With hindsight, my only concern was with my bags and the cash on my person while waiting in that bus station in Caracas.
2. How does one access their money in Merida?
There are plenty of ATMS. I brought plenty of US dollars to make the most of the black market and know now a few people who give me 2400 per dollar.
3. How is safety in Merida? I've had friends tell me they actually feel safer in Columbia than Venezuela which has made me nervous about visiting Venezuela in general outside Margarita.
Super safe. If you have basic street smarts and aren´t in to wearing shorts and loud hawaian shorts you should be just fine. I´ve been to Colombia, Beirut, Syria, etc and feel super safe here. There are few foreign tourists outside the dirty backpacker breed and plenty of tourist infastructure for the Venezuelans coming from Caracas. I have heard of slash and dash cell phone grabbers from a few women but yet to see anything to make me nervous.
4. I'm just curious if you have met any students who speak English? Of course we should all learn Spanish-- I know that.
Only bits and pieces, probably not enough to get their pants off in English. And personally when I hear horrible english from a young lady it is a real turnoff as I get flashbacks from *****s overexplosed to Gringos. But, there is a major at the University in Modern Languages, so I´m sure that billingual babes exist. Buy some Pimsleur CD´s and you´ll be cruising. You could easily find a tutor here too. Yet for day to day you´ll need Spanish to get the gems.
5. How friendly are the women towards young gringos? Are the women as attractive as those you find in Caracas?
Some have an aversion to the dirty backpacker type as Merida is on the South America Lonely Planet circuit. For me those days are over, so if you know how to dress, can speak the language, and have a little game, you´ll do great.
Personally, I think the ladies are a little sexier in Caracas but I still find plenty that make my jaw drop and the costs are much cheaper here.
6. What are some of the places you have found fun to meet the ladies? Any favorite clubs, bars? Any luck walking around the university? Too many names to list here, but there are plenty. PM me when you plan to go and I´ll give you the details from my memoirs. The university is spread out all over town so there isn´t so much as a central campus as there is in the US sense.
7. About what are you paying a month for rent? Where is a good area to find an appartment?
I paid about $500 for a 3b, 2 bath furnished apt in an exclusive area on the 8th floor. From my research and after being here for two weeks I realize that what I´m paying is probably above market. However, some of the others I looked out weren´t nearly as nice and I was eager to get out of the hotel that I was in. There are 3 local newspapers, one has better classifacados than the others but most agents want 6 mos to 1 yr committments. Yet those that cater to the weekenders from Caracas are more open for the month to 2 month arrangement.
8. What do you think of the city and area, outside partying with the chicas? Is Merida paradise?
Merida has many positive qualities once you get past the typical 3rd world setup of things. I was expected more of a historic looking place but unfortunately it isn´t colonial in the sense of Antigua, Guatemala or Tallin, Estonia. So initally I was a little disappointed with that aspect.
Yet, the climate is perfect, I found an awesome gym, there are plenty of outdoor pursuits in the Andes, cabs and food are cheap, and stylin´gringos are quite rare so I´m pretty happy here.
The Importance of Spanish
I couldn´t agree more with Johan, as Spanish language skills are critical.
I'm a big fan of Pimsleur language CD's as they aren't cheap but are the best out there. See amazon.
Or if you have the time there are always the language immersion schools in places like Costa Rica, Mexico and Guatemala.
Personally, I think the best bet is in Xela, Guatemala where for about a $120 a week you get 4 hours of one on one language instruction and boarding with a family. Compare this with Costa Rica where you´ll pay 2 to three times that and instead of one on one instruction you´ll be in a group of 4 other students. Additionally, I think CR is a rip-off these days for newbees to Latin America.
Maturin Population::: 340,000.
Hi Guys I was just in the other areas section looking at an old post By Cyberdas and he mentioned that Maturin 3 Hours away going east bound from Puerto La Cruz has a good scene with many girls. He mentioned some Club Thursday Night that has Ladies Night and it is very packed with Chicks. He also mentions that the action goes from Thursday to Saturday Nights there. He Mentioned also a Ratio of Girls from 13 to 1 in this city. Maybe that is an Exagerration but anyways if there is a good ratio of women to Men there then Great. I heard in General in Venezuela there is a Ratio of Women 2 to 1 but in the over 50 Age. No Problem for Me As Women from this country keep there beauty going until they die. Maturin is busy regional transportation hub,connecting routes from the norteastern coast to The Delta Del Orinico and The Gran Sabana. It is also a Big Agro/Industrial city of The Eastern Los Llanos. Right now I have no info on the nighclub scene here yet but I will try to post that in a future post. Maybe Cyberdas or someone else can post a list of all the clubs here. I was wondering too if the local paper and yellow pages has ads here for sex services. I will try to post more info on Maturin in a future post.
