Chile

Valparaiso | 16 Jun 2006

Valparaiso is a coastal town north of Santiago set on 42 hills and not only has an active port, it also holds the Chilean seats of Parliament. It was a really important trading port prior to the Panama Canal opening and since then as been less successful.

To be honest we found the town quite drab and in need of a face lift. Lots of rusting corrugated iron, weeds and rubbish around never mind all the paint peeling off beautiful old mansions. A major disappointment. It has great potential though as each hill is covered with many different coloured houses, and can have great panoramic views. I do hope in the future that it will revive itself.

We did manage to visit Chiles most famous poets house , Pablo Naruda, who won a Noble prize in 1971. What a bizarre quirky place. A marry go round horse lying beside the sofa in the sitting room, a dead flamingo hanging from the ceiling above the dining room table, really narrow corridors. Mental!!

Locations Visited: Osorno, Valparaiso

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