My 2018: A tour around mi town-My precious Merida

Hello everyone, today I will give you a little tour of the city where I was born and grew up, and of which I am deeply in love, my beautiful Merida, located in the west of Venezuela, is without a doubt one of the most beautiful cities in the country, surrounded by imposing mountains, with landscapes of beautiful contrasts, colorful parks with great greenery and the most outstanding thing is the kindness and treatment of its people, not to mention the kindness and hospitality of its people.

We begin the tour through the historic quarter of the city, with singular beauty, is surrounded by ancient buildings of which highlight the cathedral, the Archbishop's Palace, the Government Palace and the main seat of the Universidad de los Andes, a house of studies to which I owe my training and in which I graduated as a public accountant. Because this is one of the best universities in the country, students from all over the country come to study at this illustrious university.

Merida has multiple places for recreation and fun, you can go to the city's commercial centers, the largest are, C. C. Rodeo Plaza, C. C. C. Milenium and C. C foot of mount, there are clothes shops, footwear, toy stores, food fair, among others. It also has two cinemas, varied restaurants, bars, theatres and discotheques. In addition you can visit the squares, among which we can mention, the plaza glorias patrias, plaza el llano, Plaza Bolívar, Plaza de miles, Plaza las heroinas one of the most visited and the park Beethoven this last one was built in honor of the composer of German music Beethoven, its main attraction a few mechanical dwarfs, that go out and make ring the bells every hour, interpreting melodies of Be.

In the southwest of the city is located the sports complex five white eagles, with tennis courts, Olympic swimming pool, five gymnasiums dedicated to the practice of table tennis, judo, artistic gymnastics, karate and fencing as well as the Metropolitan Stadium of Merida.

It has a varied wealth of potters, weavers in fiber, virgin wool, wood carvers, stone, wrought iron and goldsmiths, whose products can be purchased in the main market of the city, unique in Venezuela for its organization and cleanliness. There you can also find typical products of the region such as: Tovareño bread, wheat arepa, Andean cakes, shiny sweets, Andean chicha, blackberry wine and the famous Calentao. One of the most important festivities is the International Fair of the Sun, which is held during the carnival, where you can enjoy the famous bullfights in the monumental square.

The city of Merida is considered one of the main tourist centers of the country, having an adequate infrastructure for this purpose, hotels, inns, museums, churches, parties and above all, with people with all the disposition to make the tourist spend a few pleasant days, I will show you the places that you can not miss visiting if you come to the city.

The most emblematic place of the city is the Cable Car, currently known as the mucumbari system, is the longest and highest in the world, has 5 stations, barinitas (1,577 meters above sea level), the mountain (2,436 meters above sea level), the Aguada (3,452 meters above sea level), the round hill (4,045 meters above sea level) and mirror peak (4765 meters above sea level). There you can get craft sales, restaurants, cafés, and enjoy an unforgettable walk through these majestic mountains, be in touch with nature and enjoy a rich climate. When I climbed up I got a little dizzy in the last station because of the altitude, you must walk slowly so as not to get agitated. In the last station you can see a monument of the Virgen de las nieves and in the background you can see the Bolívar peak, which is the highest of the entire mountain range. Some people climb these mountains, but you have to be in good shape and have the right equipment to do it.

Science and Technology Museum: Presents robotized samples of prehistoric figures. It also has a photo gallery and a section dedicated to the conservation of flora and fauna. It also has an area where you can see everything related to the functioning of the tectonic plates and an earthquake simulation room.

Chorros de Milla Zoo: In this beautiful zoo you can find various animal species among which we can name the bear frontino, the condor of the Andes, a lion, tigers, tapirs, various types of birds, monkeys and an area where they have snakes. I didn't take pictures in the reptile area because I have snake phobia and can't stand to see them.

Paramo la Culata National Park: It is located on the outskirts of the city about 45 minutes away, where you can enjoy a rich mountain climate, apart from beautiful scenery, horseback riding, eating delicious Andean cakes and drinking blackberry wine, handmade by local people.

Eco Wild Agro Tourist Park: It is a different tourist alternative, you can do adventure tourism, see mechanical milking herd, the process for making dairy products, horseback riding, mechanical bulls and children's park, also has lodging and various restaurants.

Mérida also has three theme parks, La Venezuela de Antier, Los Aleros and La montaña de los sueños. There you can travel through time, in the marvellous mountain ranges of Merideñas, showing us the traditions, customs, architecture and even gastronomy of the first decades of the twentieth century. One of the most spectacular attractions is the most complete collection of classic and antique cars in our beloved Venezuela.

I hope you have enjoyed the tour of this magical city, and those who do not know it are encouraged to visit it. See you next chance.

All photographs are my own, taken with my BLU DASH X mobile phone and some with a Panasonic camera.

Here is the contest link for those who want to participate.

https://steemit.com/my2018/@anomadsoul/contest-my-2018-a-tour-around-my-town-100-sbd-in-prizes

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Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator

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