|
Besides offering room and board, Gioia provides day trips
to the areas north and south of Mérida. The trip north
follows the Chama River into the Paramo (timberland) region.
In the lush river valley, trees draped in Spanish moss and
bright-orange bouganvillas shade the narrow and winding transandina
highway. A colorful patchwork of terraced farms cover the
steep hillsides.
At San Rafael, Venezuela's highest town at over 10,000 feet,
we visited a stone church built by the hermit Juan Felix Sanchez.
Next we stopped at Mucubaji, the largest glacier lake in the
Sierra Nevada. Here you can ride a horse or walk down a trail
to the Laguna Negra lake nestled among the pine trees. Since
our backsides were still recovering from the long ride to
Los Nevados, we opted for an invigorating hour and a half
walk.
After lunch, we visited a refuge for Andean condors. These
birds are members of the vulture family and only eat carrion,
although they are often killed by ranchers who believe them
to be birds of prey. Condors are the largest winged animals,
with wing spans exceeding 9 feet and capable of soaring at
altitudes of 30,000 feet. They were once extinct in Venezuela,
but now 5 of them live in the wild and 3 in captivity at the
refuge. It was quite a treat to see these enormous birds up
close.
We arrived back at Gioia's house just before dark with intentions
of taking her and her mother to dinner. However, members of
Gioia's family had asked to have a pizza party at her house,
so instead we were their guests for dinner. There must have
been a dozen members of the family gathered around the table,
and most of them spoke English and were interested in our
unusual lifestyle. The more we get to know Venezuelans, the
more we're impressed by their open friendliness and generosity.
|
National park north of Mérida. The
pine trees aren't indigenous; they
were planted by the university.
|
|
Frailejone plant. Each year the bottom dies
and it
regrows from the top. During wet season it
boasts bright yellow flowers.
|
Iglesia de Piedra (Church
of Stone) built by Juan
Felix Sanchez, who is buried inside next to his
wife.
|
Terraced farmland in the Andes
|
