Hello from chilly Chile - Part 2, Valparaiso

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So, we move on to Part 2 of the Chilean adventure. By the by, Chileno is very difficult to understand. I have to retune my ears to that particular accent of Spanish, but I´m not doing too badly. Anyway, I digress.

So I spent a couple of days in Valparaiso, or Valpo as the locals call it. There is a stark difference with Santiago. The latter is serene whilst Valpo is more edgy. Difficult to say which city I prefer as they are so different!

Valpo is a city built on 42 hills. There is no order in the layout, streets are steep and colonial mansions and tattered houses have been built side by side. This definitely adds to the charm of the place. The houses are very colourful, and there is even more colour from the amazing number of street art (officially encouraged). There are steep stairs and ascencores to facilitate the climb up the cerros, but overall a walk in Valpo makes the leg and butt muscles work hard!

One of the most interesting museums there was Casa Lukas, which contains the work of a famous Chilean caricaturist, whose name escapes me. I understand enough spanish to appreciate and understand his humour!

I also did a walking tour, which is the best way to get to know the nooks and crannies of the city. The guide is a Brit who´s decided that he did not want to live in the UK and preferred travelling in Latin America. The Museo Al Cielo Abierto contains a fantastic collection of street murals.

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