Valparaiso

On Thursday, Becky, Janet and I took the public bus to the port city of Valparaiso.

Valparaiso is a tangle of houses and stairs and alleys and streets and "ascensors" (funiculars) that spread from the narrow stretch of flat land along the coast up the steep hills. There are some magnificent stone and wood mansions built by old money, and lots more modest houses covered with corrugated metal and (if recently renovated) painted in a variety of colors. Lots of dogs, lots of graffiti.

The hosts of Janet's and Becky's bed and breakfast recommended a Valparaisan guide named Michael. He is originally from Germany, but has lived in Valparaiso for 3 or 4 years. If ever there was a city where you needed a guide, it is Valparaiso. Michael took us over and around the hills and in and out of buildings and through narrow alley ways and up and down stairs. He took us into the British volunteer fire company, and the German club (where there was a bust of Kaiser Wilhelm!), and into a building that was being renovated and provided a glimpse into the life of a wealthy family in an era long gone, and into a local pub for lunch and dozens of other places, pulling out black and white photographs showing what things looked like 50 or 100 years ago.

Like Punta Arenas, Valparaiso benefited from the California Gold Rush and was hurt badly by the Panama Canal. And like San Francisco, there was an earthquake here in 1906. Today the place is a UNESCO World Heritage site. There has been a lot of development and renovation in the past 12-15 years, and as is not at all surprising, those who have benefited by the tourism and renovation boom are pleased with it, while those who have not don't like it.

The municipal infrastructure was never well built and is showing its age. Michael said that were were house fires (often started by electrical problems) almost every week, and a gas main had exploded in the last few months.

Alas, this was where Becky's camera got stolen by a pair of smooth pick pockets, along with all her trip pictures.

After a long day of tramping the hills of Valparaiso, we headed back to Santiago on the bus and had dinner at a lovely tapas bar/restaurant.