Feliz Año Nuevo! - Valparaíso

29/12 - 03/01

'I could walk through this city a thousand times and always discover something new!'. This statement summed up our last day in Valparaíso perfectly.

Valpo - as the locals call it - was our destination for New Year's Eve. After some research, we found out that allegedly, the best and biggest fireworks in all of South America would be here. Furthermore, the nightlife here is said to be unique. The perfect combination for a New Year's party!

This city has a unique atmosphere. When we arrived by bus from Santiago, it seemed a bit rundown and shabby to me. The typical glamour you would expect from a highly praised city is completely absent here. Instead, there is practically street art in the form of graffiti or paintings on every wall. Consequently, many free spirits live here in Valpo. You encounter eccentric characters, and it's hard to tell if they just got up from their park bench or came out of their studio.

The city was randomly built on a total of 40 hills without any construction plan. Fans of right angles will be sorely disappointed - Valpo is extremely twisty and there are small side streets everywhere. If you don't feel like climbing stairs all the time, you can use one of the 7 old and extremely steep ascensores (funiculars) as a means of transportation.

After our first walk around our neighborhood, we were very excited. And then, suddenly, folk music started playing in the square outside our window and numerous people began to dance. Our hostel also fit into the quirky city architecture. The floor in our room seemed to be laid without a level, and to get to the common area, you had to descend 10 meters down a spiral staircase. It was surprising because you actually enter the house on the same level as the hill, but the back of the house extends one more floor down. This building style can be found all over the city - especially on Cerro Alegre, there are some beautiful examples of former British colonists' residences.

On our first morning in Valpo, we took another Free Walking Tour, as it is a great way to learn more about the city and explore places off the beaten path. Especially here in Valpo, it pays off to have a local guide. In addition, you get good entertainment and interesting facts along the way.

During breakfast at our hostel, we met Julia from Germany, with whom we walked to the meeting point of the walking tour. Usually, during these tours, all participants briefly introduce themselves with their names and home countries. During the introduction, we heard a brief 'Babsi from Austria' behind us, but we didn't pay much attention to it. When we were about to start, suddenly from behind, we heard: 'Emi, is that you?'. As luck would have it, we unexpectedly met Babsi, a friend of Emi's, and that gave us a lot to talk about. Babsi was traveling with Ignacio from Chile and Lucia from Argentina, whom she had met during her study abroad semester in Zagreb. During a short stop to eat empanadas, we also met the Swiss couple Cyrill and Selina, with whom we immediately got along well.

So after the walking tour, we suddenly became a group of 8 people, and we spent the rest of the day together. After a rather unexciting and very short boat tour, which was actually recommended to us because of the sunset and the view of the illuminated city - neither of which we saw - we then made plans for New Year's Eve over some beers and Mojitos. It's always better to celebrate together!

(from left to right: Selina, Cyrill, Babsi, Ignacio, Lucia, Julia, and the two of us)

On New Year's Eve, a variety of boats loaded with pyrotechnics anchor in the port of Valpo and the neighboring coastal towns. At exactly midnight, all the fireworks are fired - the whole spectacle lasts about 20 to 30 minutes. To have a good view of the show, it's best to position yourself on one of the many high places on the hills with enough drinks.



In the afternoon, people with coolers and camping equipment began to gather there, and the many street vendors set up their stalls. We were equipped with some six-packs, champagne, and hazelnut schnapps - which Babsi brought from Austria. As is usual in Valpo, we were entertained with street music during the waiting time. The atmosphere was excellent. When midnight struck, the champagne corks popped - 'Feliz Año Nuevo!' - the cheers echoed, and the huge fireworks finally ignited. Luckily, they were shot high enough into the air so that despite the flood of smartphones suddenly being held up, we could still see something.

It lived up to its reputation! I - as an absolute opponent of fireworks - have to admit that the sight was impressive. Especially when you let your gaze wander along the coast and realize how vast and huge it actually was. After about 25 minutes, the fun was over, the crowd cheered, huge amounts of money had - literally - gone up in smoke, and the sea was a bit more polluted. Right after the fireworks, the after-party with loud electronic music started on our square, and we replenished our already depleted stock of drinks at the numerous drink stands. At around 4 am, we staggered back to the hostel - especially Cyrill had some difficulties compensating for the inclines of the hills. I was impressed by the atmosphere that prevailed in the narrow and winding alleys of the city at this time. Just before going to sleep, of course, we had the obligatory hot dog - Italiano, of course! :)

While we mostly spent January 1st in bed, Babsi, Ignacio, Lucia, and Julia already continued on to Santiago. So we spent the remaining time in Valpo with Cyrill and Selina. We simply strolled through the streets, enjoyed the views from various rooftop terraces, and indulged a little...;) Cyrill and Selina were at the end of their South America trip and had already visited many places that lie ahead for us. So we exchanged some tips and stories and agreed to stay in touch!

Conclusion:

Valpo is indeed the perfect place to celebrate New Year's Eve in South America. The fireworks were spectacular, and the city has its own special charm. Even if it's not New Year's Eve, in our opinion, this city should be on every must-see list for a trip to Chile, because there's always something happening here! You just have to get used to the smell of urine and the dog poop left by the many street dogs. They are just as much part of the cityscape as the colorful house walls. In a small café, we once found a map that showed the territories of the stray dogs. The population takes care of the dogs - there are containers with water or food at many street corners or in front of restaurants, so the four-legged creatures lack nothing.

In addition to New Year's Eve, we also celebrated the halfway point of our world trip on December 31st. We both can't decide if the time has passed quickly or slowly until now. In any case, it is an incredible feeling to know that we get to experience this time period again! Because of the cool atmosphere and the lovely people we met in Valparaíso, a bit of travel fatigue sneaked in. We didn't actually want to pack again so soon, spend a whole day in various means of transportation, and start all over again in a new city.

However, the fatigue didn't last long, and we are incredibly excited to see what awaits us in the second half of our journey in the north of Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Colombia, and Brazil! :)

Hasta pronto!

E&L

>> Next stop: San Pedro de Atacama <<