Yet another UNESCO World Heritage site!

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We took a Tur Bus from La Serena to Valparaiso during the day, arriving in the city around 7pmish. Arrived at the hostel, Nueva Mente and rang the bell and waited, waited and waited. No answer and there appeared to be no one around. We were just thinking about our next options when a man appeared, let us into the hostel and told us to wait! A few minutes later, hostel manager arrived and showed us our room 😊 hostel was quite nice over 2 floors but very very cold as the building was from 1900's and there was no heating! I sat in the hostel with my coat on and actually didn't need my coat for outside as it was warmer.

Anyhow, we located the local mini market, a lovely local chap welcoming us 'Chicas' to Valparaiso and asking where we were from. We located some beer and chilled out.

Valparaiso is a lovely mix of windy hillside painted houses and shanty towns. The paths are unfortunately covered in a lot of dog mess and there was a big contingent of cats which we hadn't really seen before in other cities however as a whole Valparaiso did not "stink" as we had been warned about!

The city had one or two main streets and square areas. It is a coastal city, next to the Pacific and then there is a backdrop of hillsides with winding cobblestones and steep stairways. We had a really good wander along the coast line which was not beautiful sandy beach as Valparaiso is a big port area and there is a large contingent of Chilean military ships in the docks. At the dockside there was the usual tourist fair of postcards and nic nacs and a curious sight of the local men all standing in a line shouting things out in Spanish but otherwise appearing to be waiting for something, but it was not clear what it was! Anyhow, we passed the military buildings and followed the map for the other historical sight seeing parts of the city. In the main plaza with the sun shining it was lovely to see all the local men either playing cards, dominoes or chess outside under the shade of the trees. We walked up into some of the hillside areas. Alot of the walls are covered in various graffetti and artwork either painted or in mosaic style. Some of it was actually quite good and it gives the city a brighter edge than other places we had been. The Bella Vista area is particularly known and liked for the colourful houses and artsy vibe.
Valparaiso has a number of Verniculars/lifts that take people up into the hillsides. Brim and I didn't feel the need to try all 15 or so but went to the main ones in Concepcion and to La Sebastien. One of these in fact required us to walk in a narrow tunnel way which frankly smelt like rotting fish....nice 😊

Although there were not many cafes or bars with chairs and tables outside the main city had a great vibe as there was a "jumble sale" like market with 1000s of anything and everything laid out on the pavement for closer inspection. We wandered through the fruit and veg market and it was brilliant. The veg looked amazing and at the end of the market there was a pretty flower stall followed by more jumble sale like "stalls"! We stopped at a local pastry shop and I polished off a large shortbread type biscuit with Dulce de Leche and a massive danish pastry 😊

The next day, tired out from all our walking of the day before and with a change of weather from glorious sunshine to rain and clouds we decided to head further into the hillside and visit the museum of Paulo Nedura, a poet from Chile! The last few weeks had put us in good stead as we waited for our bus, 612 and with the exact change 3.10 pesos purchased our one way ticket. The only worrying prospect was of knowing exactly when to get off. As Brim checked the map I madly read out the street signs. First stop, the old palace located we jumped up and out of the bus. The view out towards the port was marred by the drizzle and clouds so we headed back to the bus stop and waited for another 612 to the museum. The museum was in a house previously owned by Nedura, although it transpired he didn't live in it much, only staying in Valparaiso for the annual firework festival! He also moved about having 3 wives over the course of his life. The museum was really interesting, and had a great view down the hillside. Nedura was into sailing, boats and art so the house was quite eclectic with an internal bar (Pat Butcher style) and a sink in an office that was never used! Back on the bus and next stop was the old prison...bit of a let down as the place was not very informational and had a very creepy feel to it. It was also not in a particularly safe part of Valapariso so we didn't stay long and headed back down the hillside walking past a museum that was closed because it was Sunday and the British archway. As it was Sunday, alot of the city was shut down and it was quite a different atmosphere to the buzz of the markets and people the day before. Brim and I therefore had quite a lazy late afternoon watching American TV programs and snacking on pastries 😊

Having missed the opening hours to buy stamps for our postcards, we left our cards and some cash with the hostel and fingers crossed they will post our cards on Monday as we have an early bus Monday morning to Mendosa!

P.s. In my haste to publish this last update I forgot to mention that we also noted Valparaiso had an unusual number of funeral parlous across the city. Having been in a number of cities now this was the first time we had really seen this side of life. Although at many of the roadsides we have travelled down there have been the usual homages to dearly deceased seeing large scale funeral homes and large flower motifs was unusual.

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Photos

Banksy...?
An example of some of the many colourful walls

The old prison
...now a cultutal centre but it was pretty creepy!

Comments

[Murray Walker]

Has Brimelow's rash cleared up yet?
So....Andy Murray has safely got through round 1 of Wimbledon. He's currently a true Brit..once knocked out I'm sure he'll return to being a 'Dour Scot'...you gotta love our media ;-) I am a little concerned as noone has clarified where the poor Wombles go whilst all the hoo-ha of the annual strawberry fair os over..poor little lambs. The puppies eyes are now open, and they are starting to stand..one of them eats a lot so mum has started calling him Conrad! Life back at Waitrose is surreal...croissant displays and bamboo signs just don't have the same sense of importance to me as homeless people or sick animals...still, c'est la vie Have you been up into the clouds on a train yet? xx

[Bartoni]

The rash has gone but altitude sickness has arrived!
Ola, thanks for the Murray update but what is the news regarding Mr Jackson! We made it on the train to the clouds, although there were not many clouds as the weather was so good. The views were stunning and have been followed by spectacular scenes in the Bolivian desert. Unfortunately despite my worrying about me getting afflicted it is Brim who is suffering from altitude sickness so we are off to La Paz tonight and then thinking about what we can do. It may be the dynamic chica duo has to part company for a bit whilst Brim heads to sea level and I look at a lake! We hope not but we will see. Hope to update you all soon as I have to tell you about wine tasting in Mendosa, the train to 4500 meters, Salta beer and the salt plains where the hostels are made of salt bricks but lack heating and hot water, and how the Bolivian women really wear bowler hats! :) it is certainly not boring here. take care all, I am off to catch a bus on the gravel roads....bumpy ride ahead woo hoo!

[Bartoni]

A few days from Macchu Picchu
:) we made it to the Lake Titicaca and today travelling to Cusco to start our trip to the Inca temple!! Greetings to all hope you are all ok. take care, Barton x