Sueño Porteño

I was missing the ocean... Since I left Portugal, I only had the chance to be close to it for a few minutes, in Antofagasta. So, I decided to go closer to the coast for a few days, to the World Heritage portuary city, Valparaiso. It is one of the largest and most important ports in south america, while hosting some impressive military vessels as well. The activity is permanent! But, guarding the port, from the top of its 44 steep cerros, lies a cultural jewel, recognised by UNESCO in 2003.

The weather was bad, cloudy and a bit rainy. As soon as I arrived, I was warmly welcomed by a student riot on the streets. Police everywhere, streets closed. Being a student in Chile is all but boring! I found myself a hostel, in a familiar hospedaje right in the middle of the main hill, Cerro Concepción. Beautiful architecture, from the 19th century, which is the image of the city. In fact, the beauty of Valparaiso is to be able to wander around its steep streets, narrow alleys or endless staircases, to go up and down the hills on the old elevators, scattered around the whole city, or just to take a walk along the coast, watching sea lions and pelicans. The city has a cultural atmosphere that Santiago does not have. This can be seen not only on the streets, with a lot of young people painting or drawing, not for selling, most probably for their studies, but also inside many cafés and restaurants.

One perfect example is called Café con Letras. This time I wasn't so lucky with my roommates, so I just decided to walk on my own. I found this place by accident, while I was looking for food. Inside, it is decorated with bookshelves, filled with books of different types. One can just order a coffee, pick a book from the shelf and read it. The first time I went there, a literature class was going on. I didn't have classes in cafés!! I picked a book, asked for my coffee (by the way, this was the first time in Chile where I drank a genuine coffee) and sat comfortably. The concept is excellent because this made me come back to finish the book, every evening, after exploring the city. In the end, I read a book (in spanish) in three days and made some friends. One evening I asked for advice on some nice jazz bars, to relax a bit, and suddenly, each and every girl from the bar, from the waitresses to the kitchen staff (the café has this young atmosphere), was coming in turn to recommend some nice places to go. They were great!! I didn't find jazz, but I found this awesome universitary disco, with great DJs and great music. Three dancefloors, each with a different kind of music, but so good, that I spent the whole night jumping from one to the other. These people are party animals!!

Valparaiso Photo Album