Valparaiso, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was the last port of call on our cruise of the Chilean fjords and the final stop on SAm 13. We docked in the busy harbor before lunch and after eating were off to explore this fascinating city. We had a brief introduction to this colorful place built on 42 cerros (hills) last year on a day trip from Santiago. We had booked a wine tasting tour, but it was cancelled as not enough people signed for the excursion.
The main commercial area of the city is built on the flat land near the ocean; the residential areas are scattered among the many hills. Several ascensores (funicular railways), countless caleras (stairways), and steep, narrow streets give access to the living quarters of most of the population. We joined the hill climbers by renting a small apartment for three nights on Cerro Bellavista, but this would have to wait one day as we slept one more night on the ship.
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| Sightseeing boats |
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| Harbor water taxi |
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| Stairway leading to our apartment |
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| Homes near our apartment |
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| Lots of color! |
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| La Sebastiana--one of Pablo Neruda's (1971 Nobel Prize in Literature) homes. This museum was just a few hundred yards from our apartment. |
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| View of the harbor from La Sebastiana (Le Boréal is in the center of the photo) |
The shiny glass building in the following photos was built inside the walls of a much older building that was damaged by an earthquake. By law, the old building could not be torn down and because of the valuable real estate it occupied, the new structure was built inside the old!
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| Reflections in the new building through the windows of the old |
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| Need to make a call? |
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| Painted corrugated siding |
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| Contrast in windows |
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| A real organ grinder! |
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| Entrance to Ascensore Concepción--the oldest in Valparaiso (1883) |
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