Sunday, November 27, 2005
South America Trip - Day 40 - Valparaiso
To get out of Santiago for a day we visited Valparaiso, a port town 2 hours, by bus, to the west of Santiago.
When we left Santiago it was shaping up to be another scorcher but as we approached Valparaiso we entered a mist. I thought it was rain but there was no water on the windows so maybe it was smoke from a fire. It turns out that this coastal fog comes every morning on the cost. It made it quite cold and I was thankful that I brought my sweatshirt.
When we arrived at the bus terminal we were immediately approached by a woman offering a tour of the town. She warned us that it was dangerous to walk around especially near the bus station. We declined the offer and went on our way. As we walked out of the terminal a beggar started to follow us down the road. When he gave up a mangy looking dog sniffed at my leg and started following us. When we stopped walking it stopped. When we crossed the road it did too. When we turned a corner it followed us. We tried entering a shoe store but the dog sat and waited patiently outside. Lou thought it had been ordered to follow us by someone and she was getting worried. Eventually we crossed a wide, busy street and the dog stayed behind.
By this time we weren´t to impressed by Valparaiso. To take a break we headed for a cafe recommended by the LP across town. On our way we passed plazas filled with markets selling all manner of $2 shop junk. The cafe was up on a small hill and as we climbed a transformation occurred. Instead of busy, dirty shopping streets we were entering an historical, colourful suburb. Many of the housed we passed were similar to what you would see in NZ but with corrugated iron covering the walls.
Color Cafe was similar to cafes you can find in NZ too. It was eclectically decorated with all manner of posters, photos, masks and instruments. The vegetarian platter we shared was ample for two and hot chocolates tasted just like melted chocolate. After this reviving meal we were feeling a bit better about the town. As we left the cafe we saw that the fog had burned off and it was becoming a clear day, although still a little cool.
We spent much of the afternoon wandering around the hills. It is obviously a bohemian area with many houses painted all types of colours, artisans studios, a school of music and some of the most artistic graffiti I have ever seen.
We took an ascensor, a mini cable car, down the hill to the old port area. This is when it occurred to me how similar Valparaiso and Wellington are. There were English colonial and Art Deco style buildings in this area and trolley buses going past. The ascensors are similar to the cable car in the Botanical gardens and the area we had been walking around was like Aro Valley.
As we headed back to the bus station through the calmer early evening streets we decided we did like Valparaiso after all.
When we left Santiago it was shaping up to be another scorcher but as we approached Valparaiso we entered a mist. I thought it was rain but there was no water on the windows so maybe it was smoke from a fire. It turns out that this coastal fog comes every morning on the cost. It made it quite cold and I was thankful that I brought my sweatshirt.
When we arrived at the bus terminal we were immediately approached by a woman offering a tour of the town. She warned us that it was dangerous to walk around especially near the bus station. We declined the offer and went on our way. As we walked out of the terminal a beggar started to follow us down the road. When he gave up a mangy looking dog sniffed at my leg and started following us. When we stopped walking it stopped. When we crossed the road it did too. When we turned a corner it followed us. We tried entering a shoe store but the dog sat and waited patiently outside. Lou thought it had been ordered to follow us by someone and she was getting worried. Eventually we crossed a wide, busy street and the dog stayed behind.
By this time we weren´t to impressed by Valparaiso. To take a break we headed for a cafe recommended by the LP across town. On our way we passed plazas filled with markets selling all manner of $2 shop junk. The cafe was up on a small hill and as we climbed a transformation occurred. Instead of busy, dirty shopping streets we were entering an historical, colourful suburb. Many of the housed we passed were similar to what you would see in NZ but with corrugated iron covering the walls.
Color Cafe was similar to cafes you can find in NZ too. It was eclectically decorated with all manner of posters, photos, masks and instruments. The vegetarian platter we shared was ample for two and hot chocolates tasted just like melted chocolate. After this reviving meal we were feeling a bit better about the town. As we left the cafe we saw that the fog had burned off and it was becoming a clear day, although still a little cool.
We spent much of the afternoon wandering around the hills. It is obviously a bohemian area with many houses painted all types of colours, artisans studios, a school of music and some of the most artistic graffiti I have ever seen.
We took an ascensor, a mini cable car, down the hill to the old port area. This is when it occurred to me how similar Valparaiso and Wellington are. There were English colonial and Art Deco style buildings in this area and trolley buses going past. The ascensors are similar to the cable car in the Botanical gardens and the area we had been walking around was like Aro Valley.
As we headed back to the bus station through the calmer early evening streets we decided we did like Valparaiso after all.
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