Dear friends,
With the vineyards in our rear-view mirror, our journey towards Valparaíso took us through the Andes mountain range. The route, rising all the way from Mendoza eventually reaches 3,200m at the border. Here you are rewarded with views of Aconcagua which towers above at 6,960m high, the highest mountain outside of Asia. As we crossed over the border, our bus wound its way down the Paso de los Libertadores. With more than 20 consecutive hairpin turns down the mountain you rapidly descend down into Chile, it’s quite a scary drive! Locals call it Los Caracoles, which translates as ‘snail’s pace’ referring to the slow-moving trucks travelling between Santiago and Mendoza, these only added to the drama however, as our diver was determined to overtake them all.
After a few weeks in Argentina, were beginning to tire of their cuisine which consists almost entirely of meat and potatoes, so we had high hopes for Chile!
Arriving in Valparaíso was like entering a different world, what we thought were chaotic Argentinean cities seemed an oasis of calm in comparison. Hitting rush hour, the sounds of beeping horns filled the streets, buses swerved in and out of traffic and up and down the steep hills of the city, men pulling those waiting at the stop in through the doors of the still moving buses. We later learnt that each bus is independent, although subsidised by the state and therefore they are competing to get the most passengers and complete each journey the quickest! Somewhat scary to us at first but arguably better than “this bus will wait here for a short time, to even out the service…” thanks TFL!
Valparaíso is an old port city, discovered by the Spanish in 1536 but home to the Chango people before then who were nomads dedicated to fishing. It is formed of 42 different cerros (hills), each one a different neighbourhood. The city is often described as a ‘wonderful mess’, with the hills covered in dilapidated colourful houses. Pablo Neruda, a Nobel Prize winning Chilean poet drew inspiration from it, famously saying “Valparaíso, how absurd you are… you haven’t combed your hair, you’ve never had time to get dressed, life has always surprised you.”
In the 19th century the city was known by international sailors as the ‘Jewel of the Pacific’, as it served as a major stopover for ships crossing the Straits of Magellan, whilst travelling between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. It also gained particular importance supporting and supplying the California Gold Rush (1848-1858). At this time as a port city, it had a large population of immigrants from various European countries – and as a result architecture throughout the city consists of different styles including: German, French, Italian and British houses and mansions. This might explain the Welsh pub we stumbled across!
In 1906 a large earthquake destroyed lots of the buildings and this followed by the opening of the Panama Canal in 1914 and the subsequent reduction in traffic of ships passing through, dealt a serious blow to the city’s economy. During the beginning of the 21st century the city began to recover as artists were attracted to the area and in 2003, it was declared a UNSECO World Heritage Site. Now it is famous for its street art, murals line the streets and with few parks and green areas in the city, locals gather on the colourful escaleras (steps) to socialise – usually with pisco sours!
Valparaíso along with Santiago, Conceptión and other parts of Chile have been making news headlines for its violent protests. They began in October 2019, in response to rising public transport fares, the rising cost of living and income inequality. These often violent protests are still taking place, and have inflicted heavy damage on the city, along Carlos Condell street alone more than 100 businesses have been burnt out or looted. Once full of thriving restaurants, shops and banks, some have been renovated, others abandoned and most now hidden behind metal security screens to prevent further attacks. This social unrest is most evident in the centre of the city where the burnt-out building of El Mercurio the country’s oldest newspaper lies, and town squares are full of defaced statues, and political graffiti insulting the police and right-wing President Sebastián Piñera.
Already warned by friends who had been, we didn’t stick around long enough to find ourselves caught in the crossfire. We were already longing for the outdoors and keen to make it to Chile’s Lake District.
We did however, make sure we had enough time to explore the quirky streets, take the funiculars up into the cerros and enjoy Chile’s cuisine (so far, the only difference I can find is that they fry their empanadas!). Like many tourists we headed to Casino Social J Crews a scruffy restaurant filled with bizarre antiques, to try their Chorrillana – a mountain of chips, covered in succulent meat cooked with onions and eggs. Incredibly unhealthy, but very delicious!
At the recommendation of our hostel (which reminded me of your Bethnal Green warehouse Rach) we went on a 3-hour walking tour around the city, learning more about the history of Valparaíso and visiting some of the best spots. These included Cerro Alegre nicknamed by locals as ‘happy hill’ home to most of the hostels, hotels and restaurants and Cerro Conceptión which offered great views out over the port.
Despite the political unrest, and the ongoing violence that is difficult to forget whilst wandering through the centre of the city, the hills have been less affected and shouldn’t be missed! Under different circumstances I would have loved to spend longer exploring this amazing city.
Our next stop is Pucón, a town sitting in the shadow of Volcán Villaricca, one of the most active volcanoes in Chile!
See you at the lakes!
Lots of love,
Xaverie
xxx