Historic Jají

About an hour away from Mérida, up in the mountains you can find a very small village called Jají (ha-heeh). It is one of the landmarks that people visit every time they come Mérida.

To get there, I wouldn't recommend a car because the road is uphill and with a few dips along the way; it's better to travel on a SUV. Once you get to the town square, the road is only made of cobblestone, and the it's on a steep hill, so one side is higher than the other.

The town square of Jají is the main attraction. It looks quite colonial, and it's filled with shops where people can buy souvenirs and knick-knacks, a few places to eat, a few posadas (inns) nearby, and a huge church. Other than that, it has a beautiful view of the mountains, and that's about it. So, usually you drive up there, walk around for a while and take some photos, buy some things, eat some food, and then you drive back to Mérida.

The only thing about Jají now days is that it needs a little T.L.C. The streets were full of wrappers and cups; they serioulsy need to put trashcans in that place or have a cleaning staff. You can also find a lot of the souvenirs down at the market in Mérida but a lot cheaper. However, I did buy a cool hat in Jají that I didn't see anywhere else, even though the hat is not necessarily from the region but it was made in Venezuela nevertheless.

Feel free to check out the photos I took in Jají.