Imagine 22 hours on a freezing cold, air-conditioned bus... are we crazy? Yes, I think so. We left at 2 p.m. from Puerta La Cruz and travelled through the night to Merida, in the Andes. The ride was reported to be 18 hours but with accidents, detours, stops along the way, broken fan belt, whatever, it took 22 hours. There are no airplanes so options were limited. We started to get some lovely views after the sun came up.

People ride these buses dressed for the ski slopes. They wear hats, scarves, socks, carry blankets, etc. Nobody complains about the cold or, if they do, nothing is done.