On our third day in Santiago we decided to take a day trip to the coastal city of Valparaiso. We caught a 10:30 bus which got us in around one in the afternoon. We decided to try and find our way to a tour we had heard about while renting bikes in Santiago the day prior. The only means of transport to the square was via an old electric trolley bus, which had been imported to Chile from Detroit and Minneapolis in the 1950s. It was a bit like going back into American history, far away from the mid west.
When we arrived the the square, we met our guide for the day, Al. Al was from Brooklyn and had traveled to Valparaiso six years ago and never left. He started the tour at the port of the city, which had once been a part of the sea itself. He explained that over the years since the towns founding, it had been gradually filled in, to make way for the expansion of the port of the city. He also explained to us how the city rose and fell, after the gold rush hit California in the 1840s. Of significant note was the mass immigration from England, France, and Germany. The first fire departments in all of South America had been founded in the city by the immigrants, and many noted their birth nations name, even to this day.
He showed us a famous street that had once housed the mansions of the city's wealthiest statesmen and entrepreneurs, and even showed us the inside of one of them, now in a state no where near its glory days, in need of much work. What was once a home of many large bedrooms, is now offices and separate large single room apartments, all with one shared bathroom. The walls seemed as though they had not seen care in years, cracked from earthquakes and shaded by exhaust.
Our next stop was high in the hills. The ride to the top was taken on a very rugged, rudimentary funicular car. The neighborhood we explored was the main tourist district of the city, filled with many works of graffiti and colorful homes. At this point, we were wishing we had decided to spend the evening in the city, but the rest of the day was well worth our time and effort to get there.
The tour ended back in the city after another trolley car ride to a tourist colony further into the city. We sipped Pisco Sours and departed ways with our host from there. Pablo Nerudas famous house was up the hill a little way from where the tour ended, so we next made our way to the top to have a look. June and Gabby were the only ones to go in. I declined for many reasons, one of them being I do not like to support the memory of Communist, amazing artist or not.
Our day ended with some awesome sea food. Our original intent had been to check out "Los Portenos", but unfortunately it was closed, so we settled for a neighboring restaurant across the street that served the same type of dishes. We had Machas ala Parmasean (baked clarms with cheese), Scallops of the same type, Pastel de Jaiva (crab served in a casserole with breadcrumbs and cream), along with a local fish (Reineta) of a light variety which was excellent. We also enjoyed some locally brewed beers along with our excellent seafood.
We had purchased tickets for later, but decided to get an earlier bus home, as we did not want to get too carried away with all the fun Valparaiso had to offer.
Gavin y June
2 comments:
Those "tram" cars going up the side of the mountain look scary. I think I would have tried walking! The city and neighborhoods look beautiful, though. Your restaurent meal sounded delicious...
“When we get out of the glass bottle of our ego and when we escape like the squirrels in the cage of our personality and get into the forest again, we shall shiver with cold and fright. But things will happen to us so that we don’t know ourselves. Cool, unlying life will rush in.” – D. H. Lawrence
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