Valparaiso one more time

I find myself with just 5 weeks left in South America. Crazy. Just thought everyone should know.

However, my adventures continue for the time being. Last weekend, I went back to Valparaiso for one last time. I feel incredibly drawn to that city. It's a really fascinating mix of so many parts of Chilean culture and cultures from around the world. You can clearly tell that, at one time, it was a busy port. However, times change. Today, it's more of a college town than a port city. It seems that although it has slowed significantly, everyone who passed through it in the past has left a little something--whether that be graffiti, a carving in a bench, a colorfully painted house, or an eccentric little restaurant. I could spend many more days exploring the hills of Valparaiso, but that will have to wait for my next trip to South America. And, yes, there definitely will be another trip someday.

In this little adventure, I traveled with my friend Pat with the goal of seeing a free concert that night. We left the day after Halloween and arrived late in the afternoon. Our exploring began immediately. I took him to one of my favorite places--in Valparaiso and in South America, I think--Cerro Alegre. We took an ascensor to the top and I made the mistake of glancing at the informational plaque on the wall. I read something about a 45 degree angle, built in 1910, and a 500 kilo weight limit. Needless to say, I didn't attempt the math as 6 other people and I crammed into the little car.

We wandered around the hill, talking about the things we have seen in Chile and our hopes for the election that had yet to happen at the time. We turned at random and walked aimlessly for awhile before we ended up at the base of the hill again.

From there, my guide book suggested an "outdoor museum" of murals that was a few blocks away. We headed there and were surprised to find that our favorite mural wasn't even a part of this "museum." That seems fitting, I suppose. The picture is below.

The things written roughly translate as:

"Sooner rather than later, Spring will break out."

"Without you, I am everything."

"Look where everyone looks and see what no one else sees."

By that time, it was getting close to the time for the concert, so we headed to the theater. We grabbed food in a little sandwich shop and found our way into the concert. We found ourselves in the middle of the big crowd, but thanks to our height, had a great view. The concert was really simple, but really cool. Three different guys took the stage at the same time and sat down side-by-side with their guitars. They took turns for the next 2 hours singing one song at a time. It was really cool because they all played a different type of music and sang in really unique ways. While one sang, the other two would tune their guitars or nod along to the beat, and they all seemed to have fun.

After the concert, we met up with some Chilean friends and some of our friends to go to a jazz bar. We relaxed there and went to one more bar before we decided to leave at 4am. However, when we got to the bus station to go to Vina del Mar--the neighboring town where we were crashing on the floor of a mutual friend--one of the Chilean girls we were with suggested that we walk to Vina. Neighboring town is a bit of a relative term. It was at least 8 or 10 kilometers. But off we went at 4am. By 6:30, we were there. And our friend was asleep...before we had asked him for directions. Pat and I just decided to take an early bus back to Santiago. At 7:30, we left Vina for Santiago. I'd say my time in Valparaiso was well-spent, especially considering that each time I've been there, I haven't slept.

Chao.