If
you buy a car, expect to pay almost nothing for gasoline, as it only costs
only about $.02 a liter.
Venezuela is a large petroleum exporter and the president has insured that
the people don't get gouged buying gasoline. There are also hourly
busses available to Caracas and to the myriad of small towns around Merida.
These towns are very pictoresque and offer a lot of local culture.
Take the time to visit Jají or Mucuchies and you won't be disappointed.
If you are a single male, Merida is a great place to be. First, if
offers one of the most important universities of Venezuela, La Universidad
de los Andes. There are a lot of young people. And excuse me,
but Venezuelan women are the most beautiful in the world. I have
visited more than fifteen countries and I can say this without any hesitation.
They
are more conservative than other South American women which is probably
for the best and they are very nice.
Age is not
as important here in a relationship as it is in the United States.
If you are a single woman, you can expect to have a number of dance partners
who will really show you how to salsa.
Relationships
here have their own idiosyncracies, so don't get into anything with pre-conceived
notions. And please, please don't offer a woman marriage within five
minutes of meeting her, as this is a tale I have hard too many times and
is pretty pathetic. Be sure to get to know the person well to make
a good judgment of !their character.
Also, don't
expect to meet a nice girl in a disco or bar, as many of the good women
don't go out to discos very much. On a final note, make sure a girl is
single before you flirt with her, as she might have a jealous boyfriend.
But don't worry there are thousands of single women here.
As for staying
long term, visitors from the United States get a 90 day tourist visa. You
can apply for residency in INCE, which requires a lot of paperwork, or
you can come and go every 3 months.
Cucuta, Colombia
is a short drive from Merida, and there are also Aruba and Curacao, which
might shock you with their prices after spending time in Venezuela. Otherwise,
Trinidad and Brazil are available but you will spend a lot of time on a
bus to get there.
Making a
living is not easy in Venezuela but an enterprising foreigner can find
work teaching English or start their own business. If you teach English,
expect to make $1 - $2 an hour.
However, there
are a number of foreign entrepreneurs in Merida who have done well.
Most of the businesses offer the same services, so a new idea could encounter
a lot of success. Starting a business could be quite easy as the
costs are fairly minimal and it shouldn't be hard to find employees.
Local products
include crafts, honey and berry wine (vino de mora), so there might be
a possibility of exporting them.
Currently,
there are two official camps, the Chavistas and the anti-Chavistas.
The anti-Chavistas tend to be pro-American. There have been some
demonstrations against the president, though they only tend to be threatening
in Caracas.
In Merida,
there is a large movement of political activism because of the university.
Just view it
as entertainment, and avoid getting involved. If you harbor political
opinions, wait for the Venezuelan to express his or her political views
before getting involved in a conversation.
If you agree
with the Venezuelan you can speak freely, if you disagree it is best to
keep quiet and nod. For the most part in Merida, you won't have to worry
about these political issues, as Caracas is rather far away.
The best thing
about Merida is its beauty. You might not notice its aethetic immediately,
but with time you will. The mountains are majestic, with Venezuela's highest
peak Bolivar. The fog and rain, soothing. Merida is certainly worth
a visit, and if you like it enough, you may just decide to stay.
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