February 12 - Around Valparaiso

Hola:
We're just sitting around drinking wine with Rene, our host, and Monica (from Santiago).  So, we've been plying our various hosts along the way:  We bought German (America del Sur) beer, Gloria (Vila Franca) flowers and Rene some wine.  This may be a bad habit to get into, but what the heck.

Today, we got downtown for a "Free for Tips" tour of the city.  I did this in Santiago (with Franco) and it was good fun.  Today's hosts were Francesca and Ignacio.  So, here we go.

This is Francesca telling us about the harbour and the tour boats.  Now there are two behind her with Canadian flags. (We're invading!)

Valparaiso was the most important port in South America from about 1840 until 1914. Snap quiz:  Laura will buy a bottle of wine for anybody who can give us the reasons for both dates.  You get a glass for the reason for one of the dates. 

Stairs and more stairs.  Valparaisians must have thighs of steel.

Today will include a bunch of pictures  of murals.  Graffiti is illegal, unless the owner of the wall gives his permission.  Valparaiso is full of artists and they want to display their work.  Some do this murals for free, some do it for a few meals or the paint, and a very few get paid.







This is the entrance hall of what at one point was a very expensive home.  When the economy of Valparaiso crashed the home was abandoned.  Now it is cheap rentals.









Same problem here.  This was a 5 star hotel, abandoned and is now used as storage except for one part of a floor, used by the heir of the owner.   This is part of the UNESCO heritage area of Valp.  The locals asked for heritage protection after a company managed to force the local council to allow an ugly modern building in the older part of town.




I didn't show you any pictures of the Funiculars yesterday.  Here's the tracks of one - I need to show the (rickety) cars.  I'll work on that tomorrow.  There are at least 4 still operating - we've been on two.   It cost 100 pesos (20 cents) for a ride of about a minute.  Saves a lot of sweat when going uphill.

BTW, the motor running this beast is 380 volts, 32 horsepower.  I'm guessing it is a wound rotor motor and controller, in case you care. They were originally gas powered until electricity came along.  Better photos to come.




Another mural

And yet, another mural.

This is interesting.  The wealthy residents were able to build on the narrow flat area at the bottom of the hills.  The rest had to work their way up the hills -fence off a hunk of land and somehow build on it.

This narrow house is 3 stories on the right side, where the road goes uphill, and 5 stories on the left side where the road goes downhill.











This fellow entertained us with the "Anthem of Valparaiso."  I suspect his permanent spot is on the tour route here.  It is one of the lookouts.  I showed you a shot of the view yesterday.  Today the marine fog was still around.

(Note the computer - I guess he plunks away on the keyboard between songs.)








 More murals.

This spot has it all.  A big stairwell, a mosaic and a mural.  Better picture of the mural below.

 Another gorgeous mural.  Note the picture of the floating drydock - it is actually in thew harbour right now with a freighter on it.

Last photo today - Laura and I are going back to the hostel.  We are walking down this street on this narrow sidewalk, which is about 4 feet above the street and 2 feet wide.  Turn the corner you see and the darn sidewalk and stairs are 1 foot wide!  Crazy!  I guess their attitude is: if you are silly enough to fall off this it's your own problem.  Not like in our country.  


So, we're finished the wine, it's time for dinner.  We'll head for the beach tomorrow (sea fog permitting).