Valparaiso's Gate (La Puerta de Valparaiso)

Valparaiso is like the black sheep of the family, whose list of character flaws are so well known by all the relatives that there is no need to make an effort at pretending to be more genteel. In actual fact, Valparaiso has come into its own, but hasn't quite realized it. This city is vibrant, self-deprecating and oh-so-likeable.

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... the Andes Mountains, I was more than ready to find a good place to stay once I was dropped off in Valparaiso, Chile.  Looking for the easiest exit out of the bus terminal, I headed towards the main gate ...

... before closing. As we leave, I joke that we have been locked in since we are leaving 10 minutes afterward. As we approach the gate, I comment that it is padlocked which it was. The guys talk about sleeping in the mausoleums ... The girls begin to panic. ...

... , like many of the buildings around here,  for the last  ten or so years. One of the interesting features about  Valparaiso is that being a naval town, many of the original houses are built in the shape of ships, which were what the ...

... were able to say goodbye to.  First, however, we went on one last mini adventure.  We walked to Plaza Victoria in Valparaiso, and we finally convinced Crystal to ride the dragon ride that swung back and forth.  I got quite the kick out of ...

... coffee. We hadn't had a cup of good coffee in weeks; instant coffee is what is usually served here in Chile. A Day In Our Life In Valparaiso We spent our days browsing around the city. It doesn't have a lot of attractions, but we found ourselves ...

Saturday, before our bus to Valparaiso, Chile, we head to check out the park by us in Mendoza, which is said to be impressive. After initially thinking a gym is the park and being shooed out we head up to the grand gates with the BMWs coming out. We ...

... to market. Today, we tried some dried kelp from a local market; tastes like sea water. We spent our first two nights in Chile in Valparaiso which is on Chile’s coast about an hour and a half from Santiago. Valparaiso is an unusual city of about ...

... road, colonial buildings and a huge “Ripley” department store that we have seen in every large city in Chile. I walked along towards the central plaza, with open carriages drawn by horses available to take tourists around the city. Parked at ...

A colorful day! Walking through the hills and steps of Valparaiso, I am reminded of San Francisco. Here they have old elevators, which crawl of the hillside on a levy system. I really wish they had those in San Fran. Lining the streets are craftsmen and ...