Valparaiso, Chile

After another border crossing from Mendoza we arrived in the ocean town of Valparaiso.  The city used to be a bustling port as it was on the trade routes that went around Cape Horn.  But after the opening of the Panama Canal, it has since transformed (declined) into the eclectic, charming “bohemian” place it is today. 

The view from our hostel.  With steep, winding streets, the ocean nearby, and closely-packed, colorful wooden houses, it slightly resembles San Francisco.

 

A series of old, wooden ‘ascensors’ (elevators) help residents contend with the steep hills

Graffiti art and murals painted on many of the buildings added to the unique charm of Valparaiso

 

Forests of Eucalyptus trees

Chile’s wine country, on the same general latitude as Mendoza but on the western side of the Andes.  One last winery in South America for good measure.

Another notable destination around Valparaiso is the home of Chilean poet Pablo Neruda.  He won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1971 and was said to be a huge influence on Chilean society, both past and present. 

His home (called ‘Isla Negra’), perched along the Pacific coast, is where he did most of his writing and entertaining of Chilean high society.  The house looked more like a museum full of amazing artifacts from around the world… Neruda was an incredible collector of all things interesting and artistic.  Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take photos inside his house.

Winding along the Pacific coast, we stopped for a quick bite at the quaint fishing village of Quintay

During the remainder of our stay, we visited the nearby town of Vina del Mar, which was extremely accessible via a 20 minute train that ran right along the ocean.  As we spent so much time there, as well as had a wonderful Thanksgiving there with our friends Vicki and James, Vina will need a post of it’s own :-)

Take great care, be back soon!

Jen and Scott