Valparaiso and Vina de Mar

Tuesday, 30 April, 2013

Woken up this morning with a loud noise and the bed shaking violently - oh no, an earthquake.   Well the building didn't fall down and after another smaller jolt things settled down and it was business as usual.   Another smoggy, fine day in Santiago and we were on the road at 9 am, heading westwards for the Coastal Range which separates the city from the Pacific coast. Valparaiso, the major sea port of Chile is 112 km from Santiago via Ruta 68, a freeway which tunnels through the mountains that are substantial but not nearly as high as the Andes on the eastern perimeter of the city.  Once through the first tunnel we encountered a thick blanket of fog which obscured much of the landscape - a fertile valley, home to a huge number of market gardens and orchards.  The fog lifted a little to show blue skies as we approached a second line of high hills and another tunnel.  This time we emerged to cloudy skies and another valley which has many vineyards centred around a town called Casablanca. Finally we drove over some lower hills that were thickly forested and began a steep descent into Valparaiso.

Through the Coastal Ranges en route to Valparaiso

Before the Panama Canal opened, Valparaiso was  of major importance to the west coast of South America andwas known as the Pearl of the Pacific. Today it is still a port and a naval centre of 275,000 inhabitants but I fear its jewel like days are long over.  The town is built on 45 separate hills which rise steeply from the harbour and the houses cling precariously to the hillsides looking very flimsy and quite dilapidated.  The narrow streets wind up and down and our bus negotiated the twists and turns as we climbed higher and higher through the neighbourhoods of Cerro Conception and Cerro Alegre.  Every house it seems has a stunning view of the port and the coast.  Earthquakes in this area have been disastrous in the past and I am sure would devastate the town again if one was to eventuate in the future - something that is highly possible.

Valparaiso in the morning fog

Suburbs tumble down the steep hills of Valparaiso

Starting point for our walking tour of Cerro Alegre

At the top of Cerro Alegre we disembarked and walked several blocks downhill.   Roads are steep and narrow and we were very amused to see the wall art imploring citizens to be environmentally friendly and ride bikes - the term "push bike" would be very appropriate on these streets!

"Use the bike!"

Local vegie shop, Cerro Alegre

The houses are made of adobe brick and to stop the brick falling dangerously during earthquakes the bricks are covered with corrugated iron sheeting painted in very bright colours.  The area is of great historical significance and has been declared a UNESCO world heritage site.

Corrugated iron clad houses, Cerro Alegre

More corrugated iron work

Skinny house, Cerro Alegre

The painting of huge abstract murals on walls is also popular and provides colour to a city where the skies are frequently grey and often foggy.

Wall murals typical of the area

Corrugation and colour in Cerro Alegre

 These colourful houses are spread across the hillsides as far as the eye can see and reach great heights above the city.  The citizens of these neighbourhoods must be very fit indeed.   We passed by La Sebastiana, the home of the Nobel Prize winning poet, Pablo Neruda, which has been a museum since his death.  Access to the seafront from these hills  is by a network of ascenors (funiculars).

One of the funicular tracks in the hills

 Our walk terminated in Paseo Yugoslavo where a handsome and very well maintained mansion formerly Barburizza Palace, is now the Museo de Belles Artes.  It has a lovely garden with a gorgeous Datura tree.

Gorgeous datura - Angels' trumpets

The terrace in front of the museum provides excellent views up and down the coast - all the way to the next city, Vino de Mar.

View over Valparaiso

The next excitement for the day was a ride in the El Peral ascensor to the main city plaza.  Despite the rather rickety look of the funicular we made it safely to the bottom of the hill and emerged beside the city cathedral in Plaza Victoria.  From here it was a short walk to Plaza Sotomayor, the main square with its typical once grand public buildings and statues of local heroes. A strange sight was the tall, modern glass building constructed inside the facade of a shorter, old colonial structure. The new building just kind of pops out of the top! The bus collected us here and we drove along the coast to Vino de Mar.   The Valparaiso seafront consists of docks, railway yards and warehouses and the downtown area is full of concrete buildings still showing damage from the last earthquake.  All in all a rather depressing place on this grey day. The reason that the coastal strip of western South America has cloudy, foggy weather for nine months of the year is the cold sea current that sweeps up from Antarctica and mixes with the warm air over the land.

Bizarre building in the main square

Vino de Mar is touted as a glamorous seaside resort and although prettier than Valparaiso it was also a little depressing.   Rows of hi-rise apartments along the seafront with the beach some way below the road.  Half way along the beach an exceptionally ugly iron pier extends out to sea.  This is Vegara Pier, formerly used for loading coal and now a tourist attraction with cafes etc.  It divided the two main beaches, Acapulco and El Sol and looks more of an eyesore than an attraction.  Oh well, it is different.

Vegara Pier, Vina de Mar

We were deposited beside the Casino and went to have a very good lunch in a pretty and cosy restaurant, Fellinis.  Driving through the town we crossed a river - obviously when there is no rain it serves as a car park!

River bed parking lot, Vina de Mar

Nothing much else to do in Vina de Mar except to visit the Fonck Museum and see the Easter Island moai which stands guard outside in the park.  It is large and quite imposing but I suspect that taken out of context it has lost a lot of its impact.

Easter Island moia, Vina de mar

Mauro - always on duty!

So it was back to Santiago to rest a bit and to be ready for a very early departure for the airport in the morning.  Tonight we had a lovely farewell dinner for Mauro our Tour Manager who is returning to Brazil and not coming to Peru with us.  He has been a wonderful help and lots of fun.  We also said goodbye to June who is flying to Easter Island instead of coming to Peru (she has been there before.)