Trip Dates: 2008-03-19 – 2008-03-25
Hello everyone. After spending a week in Panama, I flew from Panama City to Santiago in Chile. I first traveled to Rancagua, a small town about an hour south of the capital. I have a friend there who works as a tour guide, and she took me up into the Andes in a pick-up truck where there are beautiful mountains and landscapes that in many ways resemble the nature we have in Norway.
I continued on to Valparaíso, which is a very unique city recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The city is made up of numerous hills and mountains, with colorful houses in every imaginable shade clinging to the hillsides. As you wander through the city, you’ll also come across countless examples of free street art and graffiti—many of them with surprisingly high artistic quality.
To get from the flat city center up to the hills, there are a number of small elevators or funiculars, and at the top you’re rewarded with great views over the city. Valparaíso is Chile’s most important port, and most of the country’s imports and exports pass through this city.
In Valparaíso, we drank Pisco Sour (Chile’s national drink) and tried out various dishes, such as Chorillana, which is said to be the ultimate hangover cure. When you order Chorillana, you get a small mountain of French fries, scrambled eggs, sausages, and meat topped with melted cheese. Not exactly the healthiest food in the world, but definitely tasty.
Right next to Valparaíso is Viña del Mar, a more modern beach and holiday town where many wealthy Chileans have summer or weekend homes. I spent my last day in Chile in the capital, Santiago—a modern and quite beautiful city with cozy parks and lots of high-rise buildings. We even had time to grab a cup of coffee at one of Santiago’s famous “Café con Piernas,” where the coffee is served by attractive women in bikinis.
Now I have just five days left in Buenos Aires, Argentina, before I board the plane back to Norway. More updates to come.
