The following is the perfect piece of literature that describes Valparaiso. No one summed it up better than the one and only Pablo Neruda, so here you go: An Ode to Valparaiso by Pablo Neruda Valparaiso, what an absurdity you are, how crazy: a crazy port. What a head of disheveled hills, that you never finish combing. Never did you have time to dress yourself, and always you were surprised by life. Death woke you up, in your nightshirt, in your long johns fringed with colors, naked with a name tattooed on your stomach, and with a hat. The earthquake caught you, and you ran crazedly, you broke your fingernails. The waters and the stones the sidewalks, the sea, the night, all were shaken. You slept on the ground, tired from your navigation, and the furious earth lifted its waves more tempestuous than a marine gale. The dust covered up your eyes. The flames burned your shoes. The solid houses of the bankers trembled like injured whales, while above, the houses of the poor jumped into the void like imprisoned birds who test their wings and fall to the ground. In summary, we LOVE Valparaiso. At first, it seems gnarly, dirty, and a bit of a shithole. But then you start to explore its steep 'disheveled hills' and its bohemian charm really starts to rub off on you. There isn't really much 'to do' per se, it's really just about wandering and getting lost in its graffitied streets, which is exactly what we spent two days doing. There are the cemeteries (No. 1, No. 2 and the Cementerio Disidentes), the old prison (which you can't actually enter anymore), and the Cultural Park which houses a few great arts spaces as well as offering great views of the city. The hills are steep and if you decide to tackle them on foot, be prepared for some serious leg burn! But the views are your rewards and often take you to some of the quieter parts of town. If you can't face the burn, the innovative people of Valpo have created 'ascensors', fun little funiculars which are a cross between an elevator and an escalator. The whole town has a serious bohemian vibe. On one of our wanderings we came across a lovely little square full of unrelated musicians jamming away. By the time we left, at least five more had joined from nowhere and there was an impromptu swing dance class breaking out. Another example, on our way home after a fairly boozy evening drinking at the only place to be on a Saturday night, Fauna, (we had been so good, we felt we deserved it) we wandered past a little local printmakers studio. Poking our drunken noses through the window, the artist spotted us and was quick to invite us in. Well, it would be rude not. "A beer with my artist friends and I?" Oh, go on then! Twenty minutes later, we had exchanged emails and I had two prints tucked under my arm. Ah Valparaiso, what an absurdity you are. Although we were staying in downtown, Cerro Conception and Cerro Alegre are the places to stay. And despite quite a few people saying we should watch ourselves and our belongings at night, we felt completely safe. And then we found Chile's best empanadas - Le Pato, #556 Almirante Montt. Crispy on the outside but with a slightly doughy interior packed full of delicious sausage filling. We also did another free walking tour which was well worth it, mainly for gaining an insight into the complicated Chilean history and the current complex political situation. We also ended the tour in an old palace, a side of Valpo we hadn't yet experienced. The interior was quite spectacular and had survived decades of earthquakes, the glorious green onyx staircase was still intact!
Jo Jo
5/5/2017 16:12:20
On your return try Isabelle Allende's books. Chilean author who fled persecution why back when, now based in USA
Charlie Nunn
8/5/2017 22:31:38
Thanks Jo! Will check her out! Xx Comments are closed.
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AuthorsRob & Charlie's travelling adventures on their long journey back to London after living in Hong Kong. Four continents, twelve countries, lots of experiences. Archives
July 2017
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Robert Ware & Charlotte Nunn |