Valparaiso and Vina Del Mar, Chile

Hello family and friends,

We are currently on another thirty hour bus heading to San Pedro De Atacama, a city in northern Chile in the middle of the Atacama Desert. It will be our last stop before crossing the border into Bolivia. We spent the previous three nights in the coastal cities of Valparaiso and Vina Del Mar. Valparaiso is an open air museum for art lovers. Almost every street is covered in murals. The buildings themselves are extremely colorful but the art bring everything to life. We were staying in the most artsy area of the city so it was easy for us to see many of the paintings. Valparaiso is also famous for the ascensores built all over the city. Most of the homes are constructed on a hill so one can use the elevators to move their way up through the streets. We read that going to Valparaiso and not using the ascensores is like going to Venice and not taking a gondola ride. We did neither.

On the final day, we took a fifteen minute metro over to Vina Del Mar. Even though it was right next door, it had a completely different feel. Beaches stretch for miles, and it is a bird enthusiast's paradise. Please enjoy the following images from our stay in the second and fourth largest cities in Chile

First, the scene out of our window




Our art walk- if you don't love street art, please skip to the next section











































We were even lucky enough to catch one team in action




Some of the art was less organized but still added to the charm of the city







And it wasn't just the walls that were painted




This dog seemed a bit confused by our presence




Mila next to a non painted wall just to switch things up




The buildings of Valparaiso- many colors to outshine the web of power lines
















The old part of the city is designated as a Unesco Heritage site. It was a little rough around the edges so we preferred to stay in our neck of the woods







As you move up through the streets, the views become more delightful. The houses are stacked on top of each other, in a good way







Most houses have a view that would look similar to this




Here is one of many ascensores built to help people make their way up the steep hills




We visited the house of the famous Chilean poet Pablo Neruda. He owned a beautiful home and the views from every room could make any person a better poet

His home turned museum




He had one very important rule. Only he was allowed behind the bar




From the dining room




From the fourth floor office




On the final day, we made it to the beaches of Vina Del Mar, but we toured the city first







A garden clock with the correct time




A beachside castle







Pelicans hanging out by the castle with a stretch of beaches as the backdrop










A best friend to keep us company as we soaked in the rays




We finished off the day with food from a bakery. The owner was kind enough to bring us these ice cream treats to wash down our pizza and empanadas




We hope everyone is doing well. We are very excited to see you guys in less than two months! Until next time

-Mila and Scott


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Location:San Pedro de Atacama,Chile