Valpo - Thursday17th Oct 2019

Valparaiso used to be an extremely important port before the Panama Canal was put in but that hasn't stopped Valpo from spreading up the hills that surrounded the small port and fishing village. The steps are a true  test for the hamstrings, but fortunately 9 of the sixteen cable cars are working, while others are being repaired. Lots of pictures today. It is fine, but still quite cool.

Cable Car Station

Making it work.

Our local guide was Alvaro. He had a group of about five dogs which followed him around - as well as 9 tourists! We'd go up in the cable car and the dogs would race up the stairs to greet us. They could probably taken us on the whole tour if only they could talk.

Duncan took the slide - I took the stairs! More street art.

This advertises the cuisine of an indigenous race, the Mapuche. Their history can be traced back to BC, but the invasion of the Spanish initially lead to a withdrawal to areas of Patagonia, but from the 1860's on there were land wars.

Any Non- Roman Catholic church was not allowed to be ornate, no crosses, no door facing the front. This is an Anglican one.

Street Art at the entrance to a restaurant. Artists must ask the owner first before Art is applied. There is one house - called the White House where there is no street art.

Jazz singers as street art - this one is quite famous.

Beethoven's Piano Stairs. The graffiti on the side will soon be covered over by the locals who take pride in their street art.

The great art  often has to  compete with the terrible tangle of power lines which often looked quite unsafe.

From our position about half way up the hill we finally see the Port. There is a floating port in the harbour too. I don't know why more ports in NZ don't investigate this.

We go to the Museum of Lukas - a cartoonist who was caught up in the press corruption during the Military Junta years. This is particularly interesting to Duncan and me who went to the Museum of Memories in Santiago.

This cartoon says "I don't know what to buy by niece for her birthday"'. "Why don't you buy her a skirt?" " Somehow it doesn't seem quite enough:"

Freedom of the press during the Military Junta

1. International Airport
2. International Airport with extension.

This is a drawing of Valpo, and we wouldn't think it was so amazing - but it is almost like it is taken from a drone picture, high up and out to sea.

Steps to Nowhere gave us all a wry smile.

Floating dock and Lukas's Charactature .

Its about midday, but we are stopping for Morning tea.

Metalwork Studio

The first laundry - women would fight over who got the top step to do their washing from. The water flowed down, getting progressively dirtier as it went down the water race.

More street art - a mythical bird - probably related to the condor.

Lorraine has an Alfajores - two plain biscuits with Dulce de Leche in the middle coated in chocolate. The Argentinian ones were better as the biscuits were made from a softer flour and more melt in your mouth. Mmmmm.

The city sprawling around the hills

Down to the waterside in the next cable car.

Yes, the dogs were waiting for us at the bottom.

The court with its Greek Goddess of Justice (Not the Roman one with the scales and the blindfold.)

Very like Wellington - past waterlines are recorded in the footpaths

The Navel office is a very smart building - the colours of a Wedgewood dish.

This handsome monument celebrates the War of the Pacific against ships from Peru and Bolivia.

Alvaro relates how one of the Chilean ships attacks the enemy, and despite overwhelming odds manages to board the ship, and take control, but the Chilean Captain is killed. He is treated as a hero.

The other ship forces the enemy ships onto the rocks where it founders and breaks up. The captain is obviously a more strategic thinker - but did not get the recognition

Part of the fishing fleet.

 It is now mid afternoon, but we get the cablecar back to our neighbourhood and have a late lunch before a nap.

Robert (Barossa Valley) is often late - but not for the Pisco demonstration!

Luma and one of the hotel lads take us through the essentials of making a Pisco. It involves  a highly alcoholic spirit distilled from grape juice. Lemon, sugar syrup, eggwhite (and some kind of softdrink for a less alcoholic version) are whizzed up Angostura Bitters is used to decorate it.. Its quite palatable.

 Lorraine and Judith from Rotorua enjoy their Pisco and nibbles.

Its been a long active day, and we have a light meal before turning in.