Happy New Year !

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Happy New Year blogging buddies, it is a quiet morning here in Valparaiso,at least on my street. The city parties hard at new years eve so a day of rest is called for.

I have settled into my new home quite comfortably and am getting used to kitchen and the hot water system which provides surprises in mid shower!!!The Humboldt current right down my back!!!Brrrrr.

There are a few things missing from the apt and I will be shopping for them when the stores open again.Dish towels,can opener that sort of thing.I do have my swiss army knife so cork screw and bottle opener are always close at hand. Be prepared as the scouts taught me.Yesterday the sun burned off the fog at about 1pm and the city and sea were bathed in the glorious light.Quite a difference from grey foggy skies.The city of about 300,000 has swollen to perhaps twice that size for the New Year celebrations and the streets are filled with vendors selling masks ,party hats and spray cans of silly string or something.It always amazes me to see dozens of street vendors on the same blocks selling exactly the same merchandise.Lots of buyers though so all is good I guess. I wandered around for the first time since arriving,choosing to go up the road I am living on first.I am on the (cerro) or hill of Bellavista,one of a number of cerro's that make up the city neighbouroods.Downtown is on the 'plan' which is the flatland around the harbour.My street climbs up the cerro and is a nice mix of small houses,some shops and galleries as well as restaurants and coffee shops. I scouted out some places for groceries and have found a botteleria where I can buy wine and beer.I am quick to learn that it is preferrable to walk up hill empty handed and come down laden with beer wine and groceries!My assimilation to hillside life advancing nicely.

After buying wine and some beer for the new year and dropping them off at home I went down the the steps to town.New years is a big deal here and the town of 300,000 has doubled with Chilenos and others coming for the fiesta and fireworks.I wandered into a large park filled with vedors selling crafts and lots of new years stuff from masks and noise makers to spray cand os snow and silly string.The statues and trees in the park had been 'Yarn Bombed', I am told this is a relatively new phenomenon of textile vigilantes covering things with knitting and crochet it seems.It is great and certainly makes a pleasant change from pidgeon shit.

Vendors all over the sidewalks but I am always amazed to see them all selling the same things,lots of buyers though so all must be good.I went to a farmacia to buy shampoo and met a security guard who had lived in Calgary.We stood in the warm sun and laughed about Calgary weather!! Further along is the cinema and I will be seeing The Hobbit with Spanish subtitles in the near future.

I also stopped for an empanada,which is a croissant like pastry filled with cheese or meat.It was warm and fresh and delicious so note to self for return trips. Cold beer then called me and I settled into a cafe on Plaza Aniba Pinto.The military were setting up barricades for crown control that evening and as the night fell i walked up the stairs home for supper.I am encouraged that the stair climb seemed easier this time!

As midnight approached I went across the hall to my neighbours apt, they are a couple from the UK here with their daughter to meet her inlaws.They have a great rooftop deck that I climbed up the ladder to get to and watched the most amazing fireworks display I have ever seen. The rockets are launched from all around the harbour and from rafts on the water.Literally miles of fireworks going on for about 20 minutes!! From up there i could also hear the roars of appreciation coming from all round the city at our feet.It was magical!!

I decided to not go down into the chaos on the plan and was in bed by 2am listening to the sweet sounds of car alarms and barking dogs...... Happy New Year everyone xoxoxoxo

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