Valparaíso, Chile

I remember when I was studying my map of South America so many months ago on a kitchen table in Sandringham, Auckland, I tried to imagine what each place would hold for me just by looking at their name. Valaparaíso, like its name, sounds like a patch of paradise but I still had no idea what to expect and nothing prepared me for the sites of a truly remarkable place. Anyone coming to Chile? Valaparaíso is a must see.
Now I am not one for large cities or coastal resorts but Valparaíso has a certain charm to the place that disguises both of these things. With its unique history and charming architecture, I am not surprised that it was awarded UNESCO world heritage status. It was once populated by rich European merchants but even though it´s fortune has somehow diminished it still has a certain air of its former grandeur. Most noticeably is the Naval building in the main square (photo left) and the El Mercurio building which is the longest running daily newspaper in the Spanish Language (photo below). Grand old looking banks with majestic doorways also line the narrow stretch of land at the foot of the surrounding hills.

It´s hard to describe the rest of Valparaíso but I´ll try my best. Imagine if you will, 45 hills dotted around a coastline of a few kilometres. Add a bustling port full of containers (destination everywhere) and a small fleet of Naval ships belonging to the Chilean Navy (funnily enough). And then think about (and this is the hard part) covering every square inch of the hills with a labyrinth of cobbled stoned streets, brightly coloured houses spilling out from the horizon, almost falling on top of each other. Add a little hint of charming decay here and there, a few derelict warehouses and a sprinkle (actually 15) ascensiors (lifts, like cable cars) to the steeper hills. Now, on the street corners add a few budding artists for the Bohemian effect and you pretty much have Valparaíso summed up! I recently learnt that my Grandfather came here when he was working on the sugar liners. I didn´t know him very well, but if he was anything like my beloved grandmother, I reckon he would have loved it here too. Around the hills it´s a ramshackle of a place and I am sure I likened one area to a very upmarket part of a favela from Rio de Janeiro. I should also mention that it´s Chile´s second largest port. We spent our time walking around the maze of streets occasionally getting lost (which is very easy) and visited some great seafood restaurants. It was great to see Pelicans again too who pretty much ruled the roofs of the fish markets! Pelican Pelican can eat more than his belly-can!

We also spent some time walking around the old prison which, in its day, incarcerated a lot of political prisoners who were locked up for 16 hours each day. It was the sort of place that let your imagination run wild as most, if not all of it, was in ruins. We met a chap by the name of Papito there, who is an ex prisoner. I didn´t really take to the guy but he has opened up an exhibition in one of the old buildings which was quite interesting and probably the only reason the council doesn´t bulldoze the site to the ground!

However, one of my favorite sites of Valparaíso was to see the Tall Ship Esmerelda. If my information serves me correctly she is the longest sailing ship in the world and the second tallest. She was actually given to the Chilean people from the Spanish to help repay a debt that they had accumulated from the Spanish Civil War. She is used today by the Chilean Navy as a training ship for new cadets and she has to be one of the most beautiful ships I´ve seen. I was really keen to have a look on board but unfortunately there were not any tours during the time we were there. Vero rectified my disappointment by taking us to see one of the Naval ships instead which turned out to be quite the adventure in itself....

I spent two weekends in Valparaíso as Vero´s family (who we were staying with in Santiago) have an apartment there. Vero was a great tour guide and insisted we also took a tour of one of the Chilean Naval Ships. When we got to the entrance we found that only Chileans were allowed on board and that they needed to show their National ID. I wasn´t too fussed about visiting another Naval ship. I used to find it fascinating as a child to visit my father on board whoever it was at the time, but I was happy to sit this one out and since I´m not Chilean I considered it to be out of the question for a visit anyway. Not so! The rather dishy Military Policeman decided that as we were such pretty girls he would let us on board as long as I didn´t open my mouth and try and speak Spanish. Not wanting to be left out I joined the girls in a whirlwind tour of one of the Chilean Frigates (funnily enough which was bought from England, like the rest of the Chilean Fleet)! Once on board ´TT.Something or other´ we were asked again if there were any non-Chileans on board to which I looked blankly out to sea. That´s when the sinking feeling started, that I was definitely in the wrong place at the wrong time. Our Tour Guide, an Engineer, then made a point that they wouldn´t be too happy if they found any Peruvians or Bolivians in our group either as apparently the trouble between these countries are almost at boiling point again!
As we proceeded around the grey matter on deck, all I could think about was my father´s embarrassment if I got caught here. That´s if I survive the court martial! May be a photograph of my Papa in his Naval Uniform that I carry with me might smooth things over...hmmmm. Hoping things were still fine between Chile and the English we moved on to ´admire´ some more warheads (oh why can`t we all just love each other) and I made an effort to look approvingly in the direction that Liz and Vero were looking. Occasionally Liz would give me a dig in the ribs if I wasn´t looking in the right direction and we both looked at each other knowing darned well we were both feeling out of place and, we admitted later, rather nervous as getting caught here could cause great offense (and probably an MP´s job).
The highlight of the tour was a) obviously the end of it for me. After we were saluted (I wouldn´t expect anything else) on to the gangway and so to ashore I was able to talk again but b) as we were walking past the bow sprit of Esmerelda, Liz quite innocently pointed out how funny it was that she would have a turkey carved into the wood. ¨Er....Liz...I´m pretty sure that`s a Condor! You know, their National Emblem!¨ Vero was suitably offended and we all fell about laughing as we bade farewell to the lovely Military chaps at the front gate. Phew!