The cabin we stayed in Pichidangui didn't offer any breakfast so we packed up and left early for our final destination on this trip - Valparaiso. We first stopped by its twin city, Vina del Mar on our drive in. The two cities couldn't have any stronger contrasts. The former modern, neat with highrises and nicely laid out city blocks. Its beach stretched for miles to the north. This seaside resort town is often used as site for global conference like APEC and most recently the TTP trade talk hosted by Chile.
On the other hand, Valparaiso is grimy, working class, dirty, old, run down, with many shanty houses built haphazardly along it's steep hilly slopes. Busy traffic jammed the few streets on its flat business district which also operates Chile's busiest port serving Santiago which is a landlocked city. Steep hills and slopes dominate the city. Many poor alleys and streets smelled of urine.
What brought us here you asked? Valparaiso is actually UNESCO designated for its antiqued buildings and street arts. The whole city were full of murals and it seemed every house had a different color. Graffiti were all over the city. So much so they became art. The steep hills (called Cerro) divides the city into different geographic districts. Each Cerro can be accessed by numerous antiquated furniculars (essentially escalators running as public transit to help tourists and locals going up and down).
The hilly slopes, the stone paved narrow winding streets, and the colorful murals and houses all combined to form magical setting. Every photo you take is so scenic and colorful. A different angle even on the same street makes a different master piece! Cerro Alegre and Cerro Concepcion were the most touristic and popular areas to explore.
We enjoyed the best tasting fish dish of the entire trip in one of the restaurants tonight that's was completely covered with paintings.
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