Valparaíso
የታተመ: 19.12.2018
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18.12.
I start in the very early morning around 6:00 in San Pedro. A bus transfer to the airport in Calama picks me up from the hostel. On the way through the barren desert landscape, the sun rises and colors everything in orange violet. Beautiful. I arrive at the airport and have to wait a bit for my flight to Santiago. I'm really looking forward to continuing my journey to Valparaíso (Valpo as the locals lovingly call it), because the air in the Atacama is so dry and dusty that my nose is almost falling off...
I'm once again well prepared for the flight thanks to a great pilot from Z. in Switzerland, who always provides me with a "carefree package" of all kinds of information about the flights! THANK YOU R. for your support and nerves of steel ;-)
In fact, I survive the flight wonderfully, pick up my luggage in Santiago, take the bus transfer to the Parajitos metro station, and from there take the next bus to Valparaíso. Traveling by bus and all the connections are really optimal and easy to understand.
I arrive in Valpo in the early afternoon and take a taxi directly to the booked hostel at the foot of Cerro Concepción and Cerro Alegre. A young woman shows me the room. It smells unbearably of fabric softener and is dirty. Hmm okay. Then I am shown the bathroom and the kitchen, which are even dirtier and shabbier. Oh man, I really don't feel like staying here for the next 3 nights... With support from Hamburg via WhatsApp, I decide to look for a new accommodation. Through Airbnb, I find Claudio's house, book it, quickly get a response, and leave the hostel, including a refund! Yay! The new room is within walking distance in a great old house in the middle of the In-Barrio and lovingly, even artistically decorated. Claudio is great and I'm happy to have changed accommodations. Thanks D. from HH for your persistence ❤️ That was absolutely the right decision!
By now it's late afternoon and I start exploring the Barrio. It's great, I'm already in love with this city and its people after a short time. Everything feels like art, I'm only showing a few pictures here so you can get an impression. On my way, I find a small hidden rooftop terrace and have a beer with a view of part of the city. But now I quickly need to get some sleep because tomorrow we continue...
19.12.
I wake up comfortably and find a nice café around the corner for a morning coffee, Miguel doesn't have any at home. Everything is still calm and leisurely on the streets.
The visit to the house is great! I would love to move in immediately :-) Unfortunately, taking photos is not allowed, but this bedroom and the view of the whole city from the bed are amazing!
From Neruda's house, I walk downhill to find the Mercado Central, where there is supposed to be good and cheap Chilean food. On the way, I pass through the university district, which is characterized by political graffiti. I imagine that it was like this in Germany before I started studying.
20.12.
I start the day off in a cozy breakfast café around the corner and today I want to explore 2 more neighborhoods, have something to eat at the Mercado Puerto, and then take the metro to Viña del Mar to hang out at the beach...
When I arrive at the central square, Plaza Sotomayor, I walk into smaller side streets of the Barrio Puerto. Everything is dirty and I wonder why my feet are covered in soot. The further I walk, suddenly an unbearable rice gas smell hits my nose. My eyes and nose immediately start burning, and everything starts running. WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?? I cover my mouth and nose with my fleece jacket because breathing otherwise would be impossible. Around the next street corner, I see armored police vehicles or a special unit. But the streets are empty, or rather, normal buses and cars are still driving. A corner further, I discover a house that is occupied by dock workers. I remember that I already saw something in the newspaper in Santiago about a conflict between dock workers and a large port company
I go to the Puerto metro station, take a look around the harbor, and then take the metro to Viña del Mar, the neighboring city. There are supposed to be somewhat nice beaches there. So far, I haven't been to any beach. So, off I go because it's also incredibly warm today.
Hm okay! Beach. It's not as breathtaking as in the Caribbean, but okay. I stay for an hour and then make my way back. Viña doesn't have much else to offer. It's kind of a boring city!
But I really want to see and photograph those pelicans. On the way there, on the metro, which runs aboveground, I saw them sitting on rocks. So, I go to the metro station, take it for 3-4 stops, and then get off to walk along the coast back to Valpo. No pelicans in sight! This can't be! Where are the birds? Should I go to sleep already? It's only around 5/6 p.m... A little disappointed, I continue walking to the Barrio Barón. There is a 200m long pier into the sea here. And suddenly, what do I see? Seals/sea lions. Big and muscular, for sure. Coooool! No pelicans, but these funny guys are there instead, constantly quarreling loudly over the best spot in the sun on this small floating island.
I take the metro again for two stops and walk back to the accommodation. I eat something and in the evening I want to go to the famous old bar Cizano.
I arrive at the quaint place around 9:30, everyone stares at me, I sit at the bar and order a Pisco Sour. A man sings old Chilean songs on the small stage. Again and again, the other guests join in singing along. The atmosphere is great. Somehow emotional, exuberant, joyful. I enjoy it, especially since the singer is flirting hard with me and is basically singing only for me :-)
At the same time, an old Chilean sits next to me, who also wants all of my attention. He talks non-stop, no, he mumbles in Spanish and I understand NOTHING! But I have the feeling that he is happy to mumble his life story to me, so I "listen" and occasionally respond with YES or NO. I order a second Pisco Sour and am amused by the whole situation. After that, I go to another bar for a drink before taking a taxi up the hill and going to sleep.
21.12.
Departure day, but not until 9:30 in the evening. I stay in bed as long as possible, wander around the Barrio Puerto again, where everything is "gasified" from the riots last night, and buy some last souvenirs.
Until the departure to the bus station, I hang out in the living room and eventually make my way there. Down the hill, I find a taxi and the driver asks me how he should drive because there are protesters and barricades everywhere in the city!! Yeah, pffff, how should he drive??? I have no idea, maybe he should take the fastest and cheapest way?!?!? Idiot!
Of course, he drives straight into a burning barricade and has to detour far away. It's no big deal, I find it more exciting what's going on here. But I still arrive on time and wait for the bus to Pucón.
I have a sleeping spot booked. These buses are great. I already know them from Brazil, so I can sleep wonderfully the whole night with small interruptions. At 10:00 in the morning, I reach Pucón, have the best coffee I've had so far, and look for my hostel :-)
Besos <3 st.
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