Valparaiso, Chile

Valparaiso, Chile

Wednesday, Jan. 25, Valparaiso, Chile

Well, I made the crossing over the Andes yesterday. It was dramatic and interesting. The mountains are totally different from the Rockies. They are deserty and "loose" rather than rocky. All the rushing rivers coming from the snow melt were chocolate brown in color due to mud mixing into the runoff water. There were glaciers on the tops of the mountains at the pass where we crossed over. It was a slow climb on the Argentinean side, but on the Chilean side, it was a fast switchback road taking us downward. The border crossing took 2 hours. We arrived there at 12:15. They fed us lunch (3 ham and cheese sandwich halves--2 on white and 2 on whole wheat--and a chocolate bonbon filled with cruncy peanut flavoring) immediately as we waited in line behind other buses. We had to eat then, because no animal or plant products (the meat and cheese) is allowed to go across the border. They checked us thoroughly--x-raying our luggage and our carry-on bags. Fortunately, it was ONLY 2 hours. I had read in my guidebook that it took 6-8 hours to cross!!

I was pleasantly surprised to find when I checked out of my hotel in Mendoza that I was charged only for 6 nights instead of 7. It was based on their computer. So I guess when I checked in at 1 a.m. that first night, it didn´t count as a night!

We arrived in Valparaiso at 6:15--about 4 hours earlier than scheduled. I guess that is because the border crossing was brief. Anyway, it meant it was still daylight. I got cash from a money machine at the bus station and then I walked to my hostel. It took about 30 minutes to walk on flat land to the funicular going up to the hill. At the top of the hill, I still had to walk uphill. And two of the blocks were not streets; they were steps. That had not shown on my map. Anyway, I was fairly tired and hot by the time I got to the hostel.

The hostel is a bright, cheery place. Inside, it´s painted in bright yellow with huge colorful paintings on the walls. It´s fine, but I prefer a hotel where I have a private bath and i t is quieter. One advantage is that everyone there is a tourist and there are plenty of chances for conversations. Of course, the tourists all go out at night. I put in earplugs when I went to bed at 11:00 so I wouldn´t be disturbed by them when they returned in the early morning hours.

Valparaiso reminds me much of San Francisco. It is built on many hills. And most of the city was rebuilt after a 1907 earthquake so that much of the architecture is also like that of San Francisco. There is a mixture of nice and slummy all together everywhere. There are great views. And there are TIRING walks to return home when you live (as I do right now) on top of one of the hills. The feel of the city is that it is both prosperous and run down. It´s much bigger than I expected--probably as big as San Francisco. Next door if Vina del Mar. We came through there on the bus yesterday, and I will probably go there by train for a visit tomorrow. It is a more modern, upscale city. I could a sophistication in the dress of the people as we passed through that seems to be lacking in most people here in Valparaiso. I was surprised to find it cooler here than in Argentina. Maybe that is due to being near the Pacific Ocean.

My hostel is in a hostorical district on top of one of the hills. This district, another hill district next to it, and the old market area downtown are all part of a district recommended for UNESCO World Heritage Site designation. It probably will get it. Everything looks old. Some of it is old renewed, and some of it is old decrepid! That´s what gives it character.

After checking in last night, I walked back downhill and found a place for dinner. I had a very nice multi-course meal. I started with an avocado half filled with chicken salad and served with vegetables and shredded lettuce around it. Then I had two sliced of a rolled chicken stuffed with boiled egg and spinach which was served with rice with vegetables mixed in it and a glass of wine. Along with this, there was a roll served with homemade mayonnaise and with homemade salsa. The salsa was like pico de gallo and was fantastic to taste! For dessert, I had a slice of honeydew melon.

Prices here are higher than in Argentina. The Chilean couples who sat near me at the restaurant in Mendoza had told me to expect that. Meals and cyber cafes seem to be about 2 times as expensive. Hotels seem to be about 1 1/2 times the price in Argentina.

Breakfast at my hostel is served late. It starts at 8:45. It´s rather good. There are two kinds of breads, but the better one is a sliced whole meal bread. I had it with butter and three kinds of jams. I also had a slice of it with cheese (2 kinds available). There was also cubes of honeydew melon and coffee. Everyone at the table wanted to know about my hand. One of the ladies is a doctor, so she was very interested in my experience with the hospital. They also all wanted to know about the around-the-world tickets and how they work.

I finished reading The Old Devils by Kingsley Amis. The characters were rather interesting, but I was bored with all the drinking. Their whole lives were lived around getting started on drinking and then drinking for the rest of the day. I swear they must have had 20 drinks per day EACH! I gave the book 2 1/2 stars out of 4.

Spending Update for Argentina: I spent 11 days in Argentina and spent a total of $303.13 for a daily average of $27.56.