Weekend at Valparaiso

I arrived early in Valparaiso, having taken the 7.30am bus. With high expectations from all the enthusiastic reviews I've read about this port city, I began a random exploration of the area. Aside from the National Congress building, a huge, angular juggernaut supported by several gigantic pillars, I also noticed numerous makeshift stalls being set up along the streets.

The reviews made mention of these. They are a source of incredibly cheap goods here in Valparaiso. Walking around them, however, made me decide that the only things that had value for money were fruits and seafood, which were really fresh. In one instance, I almost settled on a pair of sturdy leather gloves until a closer inspection revealed splitting seams filled with dried mud.

After browsing the stalls, I decided to walk through the shopping district, since it was on the way to my hostel. There wasn't really that much to see. Santiago had a much more vibrant commercial scene. I quickly located my hostel on the side of Cerro Bella Vista and checked in.

Sloping road leading up Cerro Bella Vista.

Right: I was out of luck. The days I spent there were foggy with overcast skies. Bad for photos.

Most of Valparaiso is built on hilly terrain, spread over the numerous hills, or cerros, that surround the bay area. My hostel was no exception, but it wasn't too high up, fortunately. The ascensors, 'elevators' that transport people up particularly steep slopes, is an adaptation to such a terrain and a unique feature of Valparaiso. Unlike what many reviews claim, I thought the experience of riding up one was overrated. The convenience provided is worth the 200-peso fee though.

Another road going through the hill. Murals line many of the walls in what has designated 'the Museum of Open Skies'.

After checking-in, I proceeded up Cerro Bella Vista to visit Museo La Sebastiana, formerly a house belonging to Nobel laureate poet Pablo Neruda. Neruda loved strange and unusual objects. Not only did he fill his house with his weird collections, but he also made sure that the architecture was unique.

I walked through the entrance garden to find a block-like structure painted in a striking orange overlooking the bay. The stairways leading up through the five storeys of the house were narrow and could fit only one person. Moving up and down was quite a bother especially when people were coming from the opposite direction. Paintings of all styles hung everywhere on the walls. In all the rooms, there were exhibits of Neruda's collections. One showed his fascination with oriental art, while another had dinnerware sets with amusing caricatures of Western art figures on them. There was his bar where stuffed animals and antique bronzeware accompanied bottles of liquor and a sign which prohibited serious intellectual talk. Yet another room had a huge egg-shaped structure that served as a fireplace in the middle of the room. And every now and then, a porthole on the wall, like those on a ship, opens out to the sea. Surely my readers would forgive my lack of photographs, though. They stationed personnel on every storey to enforce the 'no fotografias' rule.

The only picture I managed to sneak without their notice. Here we have plates with pictures of people fused with the bodies of various sea creatures. The nautilus one was most amusing.

The rest of the day was spent exploring the city, going up Cerro Concepcion and Cerro Alegre, sampling seafood at Mercado Puerto. But frankly, I expected a lot more of this tourist lure that I had heard so much about, scenery-, experience-, and cuisine-wise. Perhaps the much-vaunted nightlife would be more up to expectations. I retired to the hostel to rest until night time.

Right: Roadside fishmonger.

Left: Another fishmonger, in a shop this time.

Left: Shopping street.

Navy headquarters at Plaza Sotomayor

View of the harbor from a hill.

Right: A cemetary on top of a hill in the middle of the city. Charming.

Right: There are murals everywhere in Valparaiso. Most of them seem to be rock music-inspired.

Right: The streets teem with cats and dogs. This one here is a little camera-shy.

I woke up at 11pm and promptly put on a coat before going out. My first stop was Cinzano, a restaurant pub well-known for its old, traditional singers. Raucous cheering greeted me as I stepped in. The place was chock-full of customers, clapping to the singing of this old man seated next to a band. There were no available seats, so I decided to stand and wait. Meanwhile, the old singer started on what sounded like a sea shanty. Well yes, it made the crowd jolly and had a beat to it, and the old-timer was going strong for his age, but this certainly wasn't my cup of tea. After waiting too long for a more promising number, I decided to find my fun elsewhere.

I stopped by several other more conventional bars, but these were either too full or completely empty. The music wasn't that great either. Where's a nice, cozy jazz bar when you need one? And I wasn't in the wrong place either. That street was touted to be Valparaiso's night life district. Finally, I settled for a simple fish supper at an empty restaurant on Cerro Alegre. After which, I wandered around the hills with my trusty camera, taking night shots of the city.

The following day, I checked out of the hostel and took a nice long stroll through the hills. My route took me through better scenery this time.

Right: Ascensor tracks.

Good Lord, so Undarraga still does use bottles like these after all. I take back what I said about their winery decor.

Sunday is market day for many Valparaiso residents.

I ended up at the street market that I saw the day before. There seemed to be more stalls today, and a larger crowd too. Probably due to the fact it was Sunday. As before, goods were cheap, and I couldn't resist helping myself to some...things, which I shall refrain from specifying. Anyway, I went to Mercado Cardonal for another meal of fish (another mediocre one, but then my standards for seafood have risen a lot since I came to Chile), before boarding the bus back to Santiago.