Valparaiso .... ahhh Valparaiso

We had a great time in Valparaiso. The bed and breakfast we stayed in (The Yellow House - in the top left of the above picture) was wonderful, and the hosts were so nice. However, Valparaiso has a lot of unsafe areas, and there have been many muggings and violent crimes. Despite its cute and colorful appearance, it is a poor city on the whole, and we felt quite unsafe in most of the city, and had to avoid many of the areas. This was unusual for us, as we don't usually feel unsafe even in places which are reported to be dangerous. The vibe was quite different in Valparaiso, and it was disconcerting because of the colorful, cheerful looking buildings, and the strange fact that the higher you go up the hills, the poorer and more dangerous it got - strange as in most cities the areas with the better views are the more expensive. At some points, you could see groups of gangs waiting for the next tourist or rich person. We had to keep our eyes open!

On our second day, we took what ended up to be a private walking tour of the city with a friend of the bed and breakfast owners, which was great. We got to go into areas and houses we would not have been able to. This included accessing some of the old buildings which are now empty and gradually crumbling, that have carved doors, ornate ceilings and curling staircases of hardwood. The city had a big surge of foreign interest and capital in the late 1800's and early 1900's, when it served as a major port for South America, with an influx of German, British, American and Italian money and people. Grand houses and funiculars to access them were built. Then the Panama Canal opened, the area tanked, foreign investement disappeared, and Valparaiso has never recovered.

But the city is colorful and full of life. Another thing we really liked was some of the great street art and graffiti.

On our last day there, we got the train to the next door city - Vina del Mar - what a difference! Here was cafes and boutique shops and palm trees and beaches. How the other half live!

Although we enjoyed Vina del Mar, it was quite the same as many other places. We definitely had a unique experience in Valparaiso. We left feeling a bit sad for Valparaiso - it seems like it has such potential, but is stuck in poverty and has an uncertain future. But a great place to visit.

We are now back in Santiago, enjoying the city (and the safety!). More later!!