Valpo and Viña

Hills of Valparaíso

One of the first trips I took when I got to Chile was to Valparaíso, which is about 120 km. west of Santiago on the coast. It's a small city of many hills overlooking the sea. Steep funiculars and long flights of steps allow people to go between the upper and lower levels. I stayed at a charming hostel owned by a Belgian couple who served wonderful breakfasts with freshly blended juices, home-made bread, and delicious cold cuts. It was there that I felt the first tremors of an earthquake whose epicenter was further down the coast. As I lay in bed wondering what to do, the nightclubs opened their doors, and the musical beat reverberated through the narrow streets. Although I couldn't see them, it sounded like all the young people poured out into the streets and just kept dancing.

Neighborhood stairway

The town has wonderful street art, and around every corner  is a sight to behold. Some businesses pay people to paint their walls, but I suspect that some don't, and they still get art, whether they like it or not. By night it's eerie, and by day, it's delightful. There are also a few museums, like one dedicated to Lukas, a cartoonist who made Chileans laugh through good times and bad with ironic one-liners. Shops, galleries, street vendors, outdoor cafés, and seafood restaurants make life idyllic for visitors and residents alike.

Port of Valparíso

On the southern edge of the town is the port, which was an important site throughout the history of Chile, first for the Spanish, whose ships came through the Strait of Magellan at the southern tip of South America and docked here. Later it was used by other European countries when immigrants came to settle, and trade increased. Today it is the official port of the Chilean Navy, a ship repair base, and a refueling station for the many vessels that move through the southern Pacific.
 

La Sebastiana

On one of the hills sits La Sebastiana, one of the three houses built and furnished by Chilean poet and Nobel Laureate Pablo Neruda. Named after the original owner, Don Sebastian Colloa, the outside is whimsical, and the inside is a maze of rooms filled with objects collected by Neruda and set in place with special care. He is said to have visited antique stores and flea markets on weekends to collect objets d'art, and it's easy to see how imaginative he must have been to search for and take pleasure in a myriad of treasures.

Wulff Castle

On the northern edge of the city is Viña del Mar, a separate town filled with high-rise apartments and upper-crust restaurants and shops. Wulff Castle is a seaside mansion rebuilt by a German baron in the early 1900s. From a adjoining restaurant, I could see pelicans, cormorants, and seagulls searching for their dinner. Unlike in Valpo, there are white sandy beaches in Viña, and the sea is a deep aquamarine. Both towns have their charm and are wonderful places to visit again and again.

Sunflower Hostal

Salvador Allende

Wall Art
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