Our Great Adventure: Valparaiso Day 188 25/03/2015

Our hope of a good night's sleep was too much to ask for with the jet lag still taking its toll. We dragged ourselves out of bed just after 8am, packed and had breakfast. We had planned to get the metro to the bus terminal but looking at Lonely Planet it seemed that the cost of a taxi would be similar so we went for the easier option. It was a short journey and Simon went in search of the ticket office armed with his best Spanish, whilst Diane looked after the bags. We've decided to go to Villarrica when we come back from Easter Island, nearby Pucon but further away from the rumbling volcano, and wanted to get our bus tickets today whilst we were at the terminal. We boarded the 10.30am bus to Valparaiso and set off promptly, heading west towards the coast through agricultural land and vineyards. We arrived just after 12pm and with a bit of help from a lady from a tour company headed to find the local micro (small bus) to get us to the hostel we'd booked for the night, Luna Sonrisa. We found the bus stop and the bus we needed only to realise it was heading in the opposite direction. We crossed the road, couldn't find the bus stop so flagged down the bus with the driver happily stopping to pick us up. The micro sped up the hillside screeching around hair pin bends, providing us with a proper "white knuckle" ride to reach Cerro Alegre, still in one piece, where the hostel is located. A short stroll downhill and we arrived at our hostel, checked in and headed out to a nearby cafe for lunch. Valparaiso was originally the stopover point for foreign vessels heading for the California gold rush and quickly became the most important port in South America for over 60 years. However it started to decline just as rapidly following the opening of the Panama Canal in 1914. In 2003 it gained Unesco World Heritage status to help protect development on the flatland by the coast noting the unique types of houses and murals. The city is a maze of steep streets and alleyways, surrounded by hills, although most seem to be crumbling or covered in graffiti (Diane didn't think much of them but Simon did!). Stray dogs are a major problem here and, although most seem to be relatively placid, the place is full of dog muck which is quite disgusting. After lunch we took one of the 15 ascensores (funiculars), built between 1883 and 1916, down towards the port area. As we passed the Plaza Sotomayor a tips only walking tour was just starting and we decided to join it. It was excellent, extremely informative and entertaining, walking past some of the key sights of the city which included another trip on a ascensor (the same one we'd travelled on earlier) and a trolley bus. We learnt a lot about the history of the city, the immigrants and current challenges. We definitely need to join the tour run in Santiago when we're back there next week in order to get a better insight into the city. We wandered back to the hostel and then later went out for dinner to a nearby restaurant. The waiter had lived in England for 10 years and very kindly helped to translate the menu. The food was very good washed down with a wonderful glass of Chilean red!