4/23/15
Even though I have lived in Seattle for 7 years (!), it was only when friends visit that I do the tourist stuffs. I seldom visit the first Starbucks, walk around Pike Place Market, or go up the Space Needle. It is always an ongoing joke that locals do not visit the tourist areas, since it has nothing to do with their everyday lives (well, unless they work in the tourist areas). However, there are still times when I visit these areas for fun or to get some supplies. Personally. I think a city should work for all its occupants, and not segregate the wealthy, the poor and the tourists. (At least, that’s my conclusion after playing Civilazation.)
I was going to skip the city of Valparaiso, but everyone who had visited told me it was too good a place to miss. Since I am still in early stretch of traveling (i.e., I still have energy and smell relatively clean), I decided to do a day trip to Valparaiso. The city is about 120km away from Santiago (I am too lazy to change that to miles), and there is literally a bus going there every 15 minutes. I caught a Pullman company bus around 9am, and was delivered to Valparaiso (I like the sound, it is quite the tongue twister when saying the name fast. Try it!) by 10:20am.
Valparaiso is a major port along the coast of Chile. It houses the Chilean National Congress, and is the third largest metropolitan city in Chile. It has the honor of having the first firehouse in Latin America, the longest running newspaper, first stock exchange, first money, etc. It was one of the most important port in Chile, until the opening of Panama Canal in 1945. In the last decade or so, the City has staged a huge renaissance comeback, and attracted a lot of artistic (or hippy…) types to the city. (I guess the Bohemian lifestyle will retain a certain attraction to everyone. Drinking all day to make “art” does have a certain appeal…) Quite a few areas were declared World Heritage Sites. Apart from all the street arts and wall murals, Valparaiso also have quite a few running funicular railways, which they call ascensors. The oldest is Ascensor Concepcion, which has been running since 1883.
When I arrived in the city, I was immediately lost. Now, that happens all the time, but I was also a little surprise at not seeing any street art or Bohemian type activities. It looked like a very normal downtown, even bordered on grey and boring. I went looking for the street car (which is similar to electric powered bus in Seattle). However, even after getting to Sotomayor Square,I still could not see any street art or murals that made Valparaiso famous. I went up the ascensor arterilla, walked around the square, and still just see an industrial, normal city with a busy port. The weather was also turning cold, so I decided to sit down for lunch.
After a nice delicious lunch (which also provided the free wifi I needed for research and google mapping. I miss constant internet! I was so much more knowledge then), I finally made my way up the right hill and into the right alleys. It was a totally different city- the streets are narrow and twisty, with houses painted in different bright colors. Street arts are everywhere on every wall. (It was later on a tour that I learned while street arts are illegal, they are allowed if the owner permits it.) There are little cafes, art stores, and weird looking shops selling local foods everywhere. People lounged around reading books, staring at laptops, smoking weed or just sitting staring into space (probably after smoking weed and/or other drugs). It is indeed a bohemian heaven. I wandered around taking photos and drinking tea, feeling relaxed.
It was quite the contrast when I went back the slope to go for the walking tour (Tour for Tips again!). As expected, we did not spend much time near sea level. Rather, most of our time was spent in the hill, walking around other tourists or “artists” types. Knowing I have to be back in Santiago by 10pm (since the metro closes by 10:30), I bided a rush farewell to the tour group and got caught in after work traffic. I got sandwiched between office workers, housewives, school kids all the way back to the bus station. As advertised, there were lots of buses to choose from, and I successfully got back to Santiago.
After a long shower, I congratulated myself on a good day trip to a new city I have never been to. (Hey, it is quite a challenge if you think about it. Although quite a lot of travelers I met did the exact same trips…hmm) As I sat looking though and uploading the photos, I could not shake the feeling of Valparaiso as a divided town. The tourist side is completely separated from the normal everyday side. Most residents probably do not venture into the tourist sector. While I appreciate the Bohemian style and would love to stay in that area, a city that has such a dual identity seems problematic. I would rather be in a city where the residents mix with the tourists, where people share the facilities and have a united identity. I would love to talk to locals when eating lunch, understanding the local culture and custom better, while enjoying the wifi.
(Err…wait. I don’t speak any Spanish. Maybe sign language? Where is google translate when I need it? And why can’t I download languages for IOS??!!)
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