We’ve arrived in wonderful Valparaiso in Chile

To find our apartment in the photo first locate the near vertical railway (Ascensor Artilleria) in the right of the image, then pan left until you see a pale mint green building nestled between the dark roofs of the white (Maritime) museum on the horizon – we’re on the middle floor overlooking the whole of the city! It’s incredible, possibly one of the most exotic and unique places we’ve ever been to. We’re here for 3 weeks in a spacious 19c apartment with wooden floors and floor to ceiling French doors that open out to a balcony, perched perilously high above the tiny hilly streets. I’m writing this to you from our large dining table with the doors open, the sound of the lively active port, local dogs barking, some buzzards swirling high up in the blue sky and the fresh winds and scents of spring. Heaven.

I’ll post heaps of pics over the coming weeks, as this place is one of the most photogenic places I’ve ever been – it’s incredibly colourful in an earthy, grungy way.

This is our second visit here and it’s as exciting as the first time. Hardly any English is spoken, despite the English street names – we’re on Farley Street – so as anticipated this is where our Spanish lessons (challenge) really begin. We just did a local shop for some basics and pretty much all the Spanish names we’d learnt in Mexico for things like avos and peanuts are not the same….met with blank faces. Your standard every-day Spanish doesn’t really cut it here, it’s Chilean Spanish with a strong colloquial twist, and spoken damn fast too!

The apartment has a good kitchen so I’ll be exploring the many local markets in the coming days and attempting to learn how to cook Chileno food – but probably drawing the line at the local delicacy congrio – Conger Eel. (Though our lovely host Gab says it’s actually very nice served in a broth called caldijo – less greasy – Ant).