During the early morning hours, we arrived into port. A local Chilean pilot along with Chilean officials boarded the Crown Princess a few miles outside of the breakwater and guided us into our berth in Valparaiso.
Once we walked off the ship, we had to pass through a terminal which was busy with passengers going through customs, wheeling luggage and hailing taxis. We serpentined around the people and made our way outside.
Unfortunately, the first thing we noticed when we exited the terminal was the smog. It was evident that day, hanging heavy in the air and creating a grey, hazy halo over the city. The second thing we noticed was the change from inside to outside the terminal. It was like night and day. Inside was fairly modern, shiny, clean and bright with lots of windows and light. Outside was gloomy, dirty and very grey. There was no paved walkway or roadway - just dirt.
We left our dirt path and had to cross some railroad tracks.
I've got to say - the graffiti actually added some color to the scenery.
We made our way towards the city center. It was Thursday and still early (around 9:00 a.m.) so the motor traffic was mainly rush hour and pedestrian traffic that consisted mainly of passengers and crew. Loved the old yellow over green retro looking electric buses that moved along the streets. Very cool.
Let me stop for a moment and share something, if you don't mind, about travel. I think this is a good place for it. Rick and I have seen much and visited many places around the world. If travel has taught us anything, it is to keep an open mind, stay informed and appreciate the moment. Some of our best memories come from spontaneous times where we didn't have the luxury to worry unnecessarily or form unrealistic expectations. Some places are harder than others to appreciate due to poverty, raw conditions, poor weather or safety concerns. But, we make the best of it. Life is what you make of it, and so is travel. That being said, I liked it best the way Chilean poet, diplomat and politician Pablo Neruda described the city of Valparaiso: "Valparaiso, how absurd you are...you haven't combed your hair, you've never had time to get dressed, life has always surprised you." Diplomatically and cleverly put.
Now, back to our foot travels...Valparaiso is known for being a major seaport but it is also known for its cerros (hills), winding streets, alleys and escaleras (stairways). Some hills are impossibly accessible by motor traffic so instead the city has it's charming funiculars. The last time I saw a funicular was in Portugal and I was fascinated by it. They are slow moving pedestrian elevators that glide up and down a hill taking people to and from in their daily lives.
The golden ages for Valparaiso came during the 1850's to early 1900's. It was a major city for seafarers who had passed from the Atlantic to the Pacific and needed shore time. Most of the population came from European immigrants and the city blossomed into what was once known as "Little San Francisco". Once the Panama Canal opened, Valparaiso suffered a large economic blow. It has only been in the last fifteen years that Valparaiso started their comeback. Unfortunately, the port area of Valparaiso suffered a recent severe setback at the time of this writing. Just over three weeks after we visited, a devastating fire tore through the densely populated hilltops and destroyed homes and killed many people. If good comes from that, it will be in the new plans to rebuild the damaged areas and help those families that were affected by the fires.
Once we reached downtown, we strolled along the main avenue which was very wide due to a paved center walkway. Traffic flowed on both sides of the walkway.
Along the side streets of downtown were various types of vendors, the most interesting one being a "paraphernalia" expert. And this pink bong was worth a picture...talk about getting the most out of your fumes.
We ended our walk that day with a gander at the local open market which had opened and began to get busy. They did have some "superhuman" sized yellow corn in the husks and acorn squash that was about 1 1/2 feet wide! Amazing!
By the time we got back to the ship it was afternoon and time for a late lunch. Then we went out onto the Promenade Deck (Deck 7) to check out the view. The sun had begun to peak its head out from the haze and allowed us some clearer photos of the city. To cap it all off, we saw a seal darting in and out of the water below. The photo we got looked more like a "Loch Ness Monster" sighting. Hopefully you can see the seal's nose on the left, it's body in the middle and a little of it's tail to the right.
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