Valpo

A few weekends ago I went to Valparaíso. It is a port city about an hour and a half away by bus. All the guide books tout it as "the most unique city in all of Latin America." I only spent one night there, but since it's so close I'm sure I'll go back again soon.

What makes the city so unique is the fact that it is built on a series of hills. It is easy to get lost walking the sinewy streets winding their way up and down the hills. To help people move up and down the more steep sections, a system of ascensores (funiculars) is in operation around the city. You pay $0.20 or so, then enter a wooden box that climbs the hill on a very steep track. The views are fantastic. Some of the ascensores have been in operation for well over 100 years.

Valparaíso seems to be the bohemian city of Chile. There were a lot of places selling artwork, bookshops, and I even saw one or two vegetarian restaurants (vegetarianism is still a novel idea in Latin America; there are people who mistakenly believe vegetarians will eat chicken and lamb). It was a welcome respite from Santiago, which, despite being a large city, seems to be lacking when it comes to an arts culture.

One of the main attractions in Valpo is an old jail that has been reclaimed and turned into an arts center. There are painted murals, and I heard a few music groups practicing in the old cellblocks. There was team of girls playing soccer in the old activity yard, and a man setting up an exhibit of photos from when the place was still a jail invited us to come back that night for the premiere of a documentary film on the jail. We did return, and it was pretty interesting. In classic Chilean fashion, there was free wine and I had pretzels for the first time since I got here.

Valpo's sister city across the bay is Viña del Mar, which I did not visit. It is Chile's premier beach resort with casinos and expensive shopping. I guess I'll try to see Viña when I go back to the area.