Valparaiso

After a night of good sleep in Santiago to recover from 18+ hours traveling to Chile it was time for the first official escapade in South America. Two buses and two hours later we arrived in the Seaside city of Valparaiso. A 30 minute walk through town to our Hostel gave us plenty of time to test out our backpacks (conclusion; they are heavy but we will survive).

The quirky character of this place is immediately apparent. Valparaiso sits on the edge of the pacific ocean, a collection of 46 hills that run from the port (no beach) back towards the rest of Chile. As you stand down on the flat part of town you see streets winding their way up the hills, houses clinging to every spare inch of space. It seems impossibly large and yet the streets are intimate, mostly one way with enough space to park a car on one side and a skinny sidewalk. It's entirely cobblestone, having been founded in 1536 and reaching it's peak importance ins the 1800's. Today around 300,000 people call this place home with another 300,000 in it's sister city Vina del Mar (only a 20 minute bus ride up the coast).

Before the Panama canal made the passage from Europe to Asia more manageable, ships would round the tip of South America through the Straight of Magellan and stop in Valparaiso to refuel and rest. This made it an important hub of naval activity with a large European influence. Unlike some other South American cities the Spanish were not the largest foreign population. People from England, Germany, Italy, and many other places called Valparaiso home for centuries; maintaining their home cultures while melding Valparaiso into a unique mix of European and Latin American.

The city lost prominence in the 1900's as it suffered both a massive earthquake (resulting in fires that burned down a large portion of the city) in 1906 and the completion of the Panama Canal (making the journey through the Straight of Magellan unnecessary and therefore Valparaiso not on a direct trade path) in 1914.

The most remarkable thing about the city now is the sheer amount of street art that covers nearly every building in town. It began as graffiti (which surprisingly is still illegal in Chile), but evolved to be beautiful works of art that are difficult to imagine coming out of a can of spray paint. The city embraced the street art movement and now the top artists are celebrated. It is even common for buildings to pay for murals and art to be created on their walls. The effect the street art leaves is of vibrant beauty, a culture that celebrates art, but also of irreverence. It is art that comes from the people, ignoring traditional social conventions to spread joy to the many residents and visitors of the city.

During our four days here we've wandered the streets (strengthening our climbing muscles for Patagonia!) searching for art, taken two separate walking tours that locals offer for free (plus tips), drank wine on the beach in Vina del Mar, swam in the pacific with locals, eaten at cute little cafes and trendy restaurants with views overlooking the city, discovered the best empanadas in town, and met countless new friends at our Hostel.

Overall, a successful first adventure and a great start to the trip.

P.S. For anyone out there considering studying abroad this city strikes me as a perfect place to do so. It's safe, small enough to learn in a few weeks, has a great laid back vibe and a lot going on. It's not as cheap as the other countries in South America so your money won't go quite as far, and it's a bit out of the way so it's not an ideal location if you are looking to travel on the weekends, but it would be a fun place to call home for a few months.