Valparaiso

I fell in love with Valparaiso, also know as Valpo, nearly the second I arrived. Its as if when arriving somewhere amazing and it just feels like a home away from home. People believe in love at first site with people and for me its with cities, why not. Valpo is a gorgeous and very quirky city set above the harbour. There are a series of Cerro's or neighbourhoods, each with its own plaza and funky atmosphere. From the bottom of the harbour its a trek up giant hills to get to hostels and restaurants. The city is explored vertically, occasionally taking a cross street to get to the next Cerro and walk up and down more passageways. What makes this city so unique is the colorful houses, painted sidewalks, walls, stairs, and mosaic in the strangest places. Walls and houses are covered in graffiti murals, impeccably done. Houses are lime green, bright blue, purple, pink and yellow. You get directions like this; at the green house go left pass the purple house on top of the gray house across from the house with a painted dragonfly and then up, up, up is where you can find the best sushi. The are artesian markets at every turn, mosaic light posts and benches, woman dancing salsa, flowers lined along rod iron gates, and even a bathtub being used as a flower pot. The city has a very young and sometimes even bohemian vibe with tourists from all over the world filling the streets.



I've been spending my time winding up and down the streets of the majestic city. I went on a boat tour of the harbour passing by floating structures covered in sea lions lazily sunbathing and pelicans diving into the sea, scooping up fish into their large bills. I went to Chilean poet and Noble Prize winner Pablo Neruda's house which follows the quirky theme of Valpo. Its named La Sebastiana after the architect who first lived in the house. Its five floors with each floor only consisting of 1-2 rooms and a nearly a 360 view of the harbour below. I spent my last day soaking in more sun at Viña del Mar along the brilliant blue sea.


The hostel "Acuarela" has been filled with excitement. There are about 15 people from around the world filling the rooms and surrounding the breakfast table while laughing and speaking in all languages. The night life here is late, usually cooking dinner around 9pm and drinking wine and dancing till the very early hours of the morning. There are markets strew along the corners selling fresh fruits and vegetables and a kitchen full of company. I find it quit enjoyable spending time in the kitchen preparing pastas mixed with lots of herbs and veggies. I often find myself sitting in doorways along the hill practicing my Spanish and people watching.

La Serena

As I continue to make my way south, I found myself on a night bus to La Serena which means serenity. It was a beautiful beach town but I thought it was a bit congested and inconvenient. The plaza was over an hour walking to get to the beach and then it was another stretch to get to restaurants located close to the water. After being surrounded by travellers in San Pedro I was surprised to find that I didn't run into any. La Serena had a very family friendly vibe and over crowded beaches. So I took it easy and found myself spending time relaxing on the beach, walking along the coast, and of course watching sunsets. I was extremely grateful to be on a beach in Chile and in February. Back home in Arequipa, Peru I hear the days are filled with a cold rain... sounds gloomy.

One of the reasons I wanted to travel, which I think is something completely different than working and living in another country, is because im searching for real independence. Its like a test to see if I can find my way around foreign cities, attempting to overcome my all time greatest fear of becoming lost and alone. When you find a place on your own it feels like such an accomplishment because you got there yourself. So I enjoyed La Serena for this reason, I was able to bus it around the city coming across one place to the next. The streets were lined with markets and hundreds of shops. Im not to keen on the shopping... surprise, surprise. I rather enjoy sightseeing and a good drink.

Arequipa, Peru to San Pedro de Atacama, Chile

After teaching in Arequipa for 6 months I decided it was time to take a vacation. And although Ive been living abroad for the last year and a half I still feel like I need to do something adventurous, something worth talking about. I mapped out a route through Chile, Argentina, and Uruguay... all by bus. Ill be traveling over the next 6 weeks and if budget allows it hopefully an entire 2 months. I know I turned to a lot of different peoples blogs to find out how to get to and from one city to the next, but I'm not going to focus on that. I'm here alone finding myself and searching for excitement. This will be what blogs are... an outlet, a way to talk to the outside world when sometimes we feel like were the only ones in it.



The trip from Arequipa to San Pedro de Atacama took nearly 24 hours. It was fairly easy and I actually didn't run into any problems. Thankfully my Spanish is conversational. I don't know how people can travel without speaking the native language. Arriving in San Pedro was mystical. The whole city can be explored on foot, walking along dirt roads, passing tour agency after tour agency. The streets are filled with backpackers from all countries. The city has a very bohemian feel with incense flowing out of shops and tie-dye clothing blowing from the doorways. My hostel was perfect. It had a quaint courtyard filled with hammocks and a big kitchen that was always occupied by at least 10 people making lunch or dinner. It truly is a backpackers paradise. I met people from Israel, France, Germany, Australia, Argentina, and all over Chile. Its interesting to think your only going to know someone for a few hours, yet you already have so much in common just through traveling.




I stayed three days and actually could have spent another 2 weeks there. The first day I took a tour through La Valle de La Luna. I admit I only wanted to go because of how amazing the name sounded. It turned out to be whimsical, a Valle enclosed by salt mountains covered in a thin film of burnt orange clay. There were three different types of salt and tons of stalagmites and stalactites. The salt crushed under your feet as you walked and if you stopped and listened you could hear the cracks and creaks of the mountains breathing. We stopped along the Atacama desert to watch the sunset. It was breathtaking as the sun set drawing the clouds down with it turning the sky into deep oranges, pinks, purples, and blues.


The second day I took a tour to Laguna Cejar, a lake which salt content is comparable to that of the Dead Sea. The sand of the oasis was salt that crunched under your feet when you walked. Once in the water, you could raise your arms and legs and still be floating. It was hard to turn over onto your stomach because the lake would just want to flip you right back over. When I got out my body was covered in a white salt residue and anything I touched would then have a salt coating on it. We visited two other small oasis' Ojos del Salar and then to a giant salt flat. It was pure magic, a place I insist on going back to someday. When first approaching it looked as if the other groups were walking on water. Everyone in the bus was silent knowing our minds were playing tricks on us but not knowing how. It wasn't till we were parked and were getting out of the bus that we realized it wasn't water but SALT! An illusion that can only be created by Mother Nature herself. Crunching along the flat the illusions continued when taking pictures. If you stood behind someone it looks like you were standing on their head! A truly mysterious place that has to be seen to be believed. The evening finished with Pisco Sours and another breathtaking sunset amongst new friends.


The third day I took a tour to Lagunas Altiplanicas through Salar de Atacama and into Laguna Chaxa, a national flamingo reserve. There are three types of flamingos there, Andean, Chilean, and James from the highlands. Again we crunched through a winding path of salt crystals and stones in this mesmerizing desert. Our next stop was to Lagunas Miscanti and Miñique. Its amazing that in one of the most arid deserts there are so many magical havens. The brush in the desert is every color from rich chocolates and espressos to sandy nudes and warm tones of yellows with shadows of sea greens and everests. The hills are dotted with violet wildflowers and appear to change to pinks and oranges when the sun shines on them like some kind of magic trick played on us by Her. Its spectacular to see these giant Lagunas of brilliant blues which seems to be floating in the mists of nowhere. San Pedro... a stop surly not to be missed by passerbys.