Hola Chile y América Latina

We have begun a new chapter on our tour. On arrival from New Zealand, our first priority has been to adjust to the brutal time and date difference of 16h. So we stayed up till 7pm even though all we wanted to do was sleep, and despite best efforts, we were all awake at 4am. It's going to take 3 days to adjust.

Yesterday, our 1st full day in Chile, we chose to go for a walk in Valparaiso, a small city on the coast, 1 hour west of Santiago.

Despite our tiredness from jetlag, we walked and walked in Valpaiso's pretty streets. 14,900 steps, or approximately 11km. The town is popular with creative types and they have transformed a very large area with street art, cafes and other buildings. It's ok here to paint walls, facades, and pretty much anything . This gives the area a warm, vibrant feel, even without the sun.

The setting is all the more charming as it's a coastal location, set on very steep hills. I worry driving if the car might roll over and drive down if the brakes will overheat.

We had lunch in a very small (8 seats) restaurant and ate our 1st portions of rice and beans with a bit of meat. Not exactly haute cuisine, but tasty nevertheless. More refined and hip was Lola's choice of ice cream shop, where we had Thai style pancake ice creams. Hand-made on the spot, and rather special. Hers was so good that a bird decided to add its own topping. Thankfully, the ice cream chef invited her in to clean up and made her a new one without bird topping.

On our way out of Valparaiso, we briefly visit the beach (water too cold at 18C), and we pass by some of the poorer suburbs with their tiny makeshift houses. The picture of poverty is somewhat confused, as the children ask, but why do they have cars. Good question, let's think about the answer for a while.Read more