Valpo

We didn't know at all what to expect from Valparaíso - some people love it, others love to hate it. The city has a chequered history - settled in 1542 as a trading port with Peru, it was raided repeatedly by pirates until being taken over by the colonial powers in the 18th century and developed into an extremely wealthy international port - playing a key role in trade around Cape Horn. It blossomed into a sophisticated centre, the financial 'powerhouse' of Chile, housing rich traders and bankers from around the world. Huge Victorian style hotels and stately townhouses were erected and Valpo became THE place to be on the Chilean coast.

Hints of past glory - elegant squares in down-town Valpo

Crumbling mansions with hand-carved teak panelling, soaring balconies and stairs made of green onyx 

Unfortunately, this all came to an abrupt end in 1914 with the opening of the Panama Canal. Cut off from its life blood, the trade route, Valpo quickly faded. Although some hints of the city's former glory can be seen in its elegant squares and crumbling mansions, today Valparaíso has the highest unemployment rate in the nation, some of Chile's worst slums, and streets littered with rubbish and the little 'surprises' the countless street dogs leave in their wake. But despite all that, the city is one of the most vibrant, quirky, interesting places I have ever been. Valpo just oozes character.

The dizzying 'stacks-on-the-mill' construction style endemic to Valpo

With a mixture of mansions, hotels, shanties and huts stacked up to dizzying heights on a ring of 42 steep hills that rear up from the bay, the streets obey little order in their layout and have a wacky, slightly anarchic atmosphere. Every house/shanty is painted a different, blindingly bright colour, and the steep streets are lined with amazing street-art.

Brilliant street art

Colourful and crazy - just my type of thing :)

The porteños, as the people of the port town call themselves, are famous for their friendly, open nature, their sense of community and their quirky sense of humour - which is blatantly obvious in some of the street-art (see below).

Our walking-tour guide explaining the meaning of this artwork making fun of the common porteño  practice of having  pollo al velador  (literally translated 'chicken on the bedside table') meaning to go off to a hotel at lunch time for a bit of adult fun with one of your workmates :P

Another example of quirky  porteño humour - the sign says 'Use the bike' ;)

We spent three fun days exploring the city on foot, by trolley-bus (ancient old things dating from the 40s) and ascensores, rattling and shaking old cable-cars dating from the late 1800s (apparently still quite unsafe, although under renovation - but we couldn't resist).

Rattling our way up, up, up to a higher suburb on an ancient ascensor

Sea-food broth, full of weird, rubbery, unidentifiable bits...

We visited the bustling markets and pigged out on wonderfully ripe fruit and veg. We even dared to try one of the dubious-looking 'boiled sea-food broths' that the city is known for (not to be recommended btw!!). We soaked up the sights, sounds and smells of the slightly crazy town of Valparaíso, and were more than a little sad to leave....an amazing place with character to spare!

Barrels of tastiness at the markets

Delish fruit at the markets - and SO cheap!!

Such great pumpkin!!! You can buy it by the chunk  - fun to watch the vendors brutally dissect it