22/03/2023 to 24/03/2023 - Valparaiso / Chile

On the evening of March 21st, we landed in Santiago de Chile. We went to our accommodation - a small house with a small room and a small bed for us. It was enough for one night and the landlords were so nice that we could even leave some of our luggage there.

In the morning, we took a 2-hour public bus ride westward to the coast. Valparaiso, the hilly city, was our home for the next 3 days and we stayed on Cerro Bellavista. The city is characterized by its many colorful houses on a total of 40 hills. Once again, we had to overcome some altitude by climbing endless stairs or taking elevators. 15 historical elevators connect the lower town with the hills. They were built between 1883 and 1915 and they cover distances between 45 and 175 meters. The many colorful houses give the city a special charm. Some have a colorful facade or a colorful corrugated iron cladding, but most of them are adorned with impressive graffiti. We also walked past all the important buildings and structures of the city. These include the Cathedral of Valparaiso, the Arco Britanico, the immigrant cemetery, of course the main market, the justice square, and the Plaza Sotomayor with the monument to the heroes.

We used one day for a trip to the sophisticated resort town of Vina del Mar, which is only about 45 minutes away from Valparaiso. We started the day with the best weather, but then the sky completely clouded over. Fog or smog? We're not sure, but it was definitely quite cool. We could only imagine the bathing weather and walks along the beaches of Vina del Mar in the sunshine.

We directly went to the coast and a visit to the fish market in the early morning was a must. Freshly caught fish, endless mussels, and many delicacies were sold here. But the seagulls and the fat seals also enjoyed every treat. In the evening, we tried fresh fish, scallops, and calamari in a small restaurant.