Valparaiso Vs Santiago : 1- 0
We finally left Punta Arenas and the austral lands to go to Chili center, thinking that we have reached our “bad weather” threshold. The cold+rain+snow+wind was too much for me knowing that I grew up on a warmer region of the planet. At that time, I would not have imagined that someone could live in place where weather conditions are similar to what you find in a fridge.
After a 3 hours and half flight, one empanada and a 2 hours bus ride, we reached Valparaiso. At first sight, it looks like a cross-over between the Barrio Alto of Lisbon and the Montmartre neighbourhood in Paris. You see hills covered with houses painted in bright colors facing the wide Pacific Ocean. It was nice to walk around in the narrow cobbled streets and from time to time to take a funicular to go uphill and to save some breath.
In Patagonia, like in the far-west movies, we have been used to the one street cities where wind is chasing the few pedestrians. Hopefully, in Valparaiso, we got more than that. It is a charming city where many walls are covered with nice paintings making it a great open air museum. In the past, this wealthy port was a major stop for all the ships cruising between the Pacific and the Atlantic. At that time they had to transit trough the Magellan straight, but the opening of the Panama canal and an earthquake at beginning of the last century have put an end to the golden years of Valparaiso.
Our stay in Valpo (like the Chilean love to call it) was nice and I do not know if I am starting to be nostalgic of the time spent in my home town Casablanca, but I enjoy more and more the cities with an ocean view. Unfortunately, it was not the case of our next stop.
Santiago, looks like a fortress as it is surrounded by snowy mountains (yes, it is the Andes, once again!). Chile's capital failed to inspire me, I found it maybe too modern with its skyscrapers, its large avenues, its subway and its buses without “voceadores” (who literally shouts the destination at each stop). But still, the Chilean people are one the nicest and more helpful people we have met around South America (except the b..h at the LAN counter in Santiago airport). Anyway, do not take me wrong, Santiago is a buzzing city with punks, stands selling « mote con huesillos » (husked wheat (mote), mixed with sun-dried peaches (huesillo) that have been rehydrated in water for hours or a “completo” (a hot-dog topped with sour cream and guacamole), cultural activities (we missed Manu Chao concert by one day, argh !!!) and, of course, a nice weather.
Our next destination is still in Chile but we will have to fly more than 3500 km away from South America and I guess for the first time we will not be able to see the Andes. We cannot wait to be in Rapa Nui (Easter Island for the dummies) to say “iorana” to the Moais.
Karim
After a 3 hours and half flight, one empanada and a 2 hours bus ride, we reached Valparaiso. At first sight, it looks like a cross-over between the Barrio Alto of Lisbon and the Montmartre neighbourhood in Paris. You see hills covered with houses painted in bright colors facing the wide Pacific Ocean. It was nice to walk around in the narrow cobbled streets and from time to time to take a funicular to go uphill and to save some breath.
In Patagonia, like in the far-west movies, we have been used to the one street cities where wind is chasing the few pedestrians. Hopefully, in Valparaiso, we got more than that. It is a charming city where many walls are covered with nice paintings making it a great open air museum. In the past, this wealthy port was a major stop for all the ships cruising between the Pacific and the Atlantic. At that time they had to transit trough the Magellan straight, but the opening of the Panama canal and an earthquake at beginning of the last century have put an end to the golden years of Valparaiso.
Our stay in Valpo (like the Chilean love to call it) was nice and I do not know if I am starting to be nostalgic of the time spent in my home town Casablanca, but I enjoy more and more the cities with an ocean view. Unfortunately, it was not the case of our next stop.
Santiago, looks like a fortress as it is surrounded by snowy mountains (yes, it is the Andes, once again!). Chile's capital failed to inspire me, I found it maybe too modern with its skyscrapers, its large avenues, its subway and its buses without “voceadores” (who literally shouts the destination at each stop). But still, the Chilean people are one the nicest and more helpful people we have met around South America (except the b..h at the LAN counter in Santiago airport). Anyway, do not take me wrong, Santiago is a buzzing city with punks, stands selling « mote con huesillos » (husked wheat (mote), mixed with sun-dried peaches (huesillo) that have been rehydrated in water for hours or a “completo” (a hot-dog topped with sour cream and guacamole), cultural activities (we missed Manu Chao concert by one day, argh !!!) and, of course, a nice weather.
Our next destination is still in Chile but we will have to fly more than 3500 km away from South America and I guess for the first time we will not be able to see the Andes. We cannot wait to be in Rapa Nui (Easter Island for the dummies) to say “iorana” to the Moais.
Karim
Post a Comment