Merida (Venezuela)

Merida is a city in Venezuela.

It is a great base city to explore the Venezuelan Andes. Hitching out of Merida is unbelievable easy, and it's almost silly to pay to sit in a bus when they could experience the beautiful landscapes from the bed of a pickup or flatbed truck for free.

If you're heading towards Barinas (or Valencia, Maracay, Caracas, essentially all points east) on the TransAndino Highway, catch a bus from the city center (av 4, calle 19) to "El Pedregal" and hop off at the last stop. This gets you well out of town and increases your odds of a long distance ride. If you get stuck in Barinitas, take a moto taxi to Barinas, then use local transport to get you to the highway out of town.

If you're headed for San Cristobal or Maracaibo, you'll probably want to catch a city bus to El Ejido and start thumbing it from there.

Personal experience:

I've left Merida for camping trips with up to six people plus our gear and never waited more than fifteen minutes. I can't remember all the names of the little towns, lakes, hotsprings, and crazy churches built of stone, but ask around in Merida and you'll get a million suggestions. People are super friendly here and during the school year the city is bustling with college kids from all over the country. If you're looking for travel mates, head into the mountains to La Culata, where artesanos hawk their wares to obnoxious Maracucho tourists. Artesanos are always on the move and know how to travel cheaply.