Exploring Valpo, "The Jewel of the Pacific"

Valparaiso was an important seaport in the late 19th century when Europeans were rushing to San Francisco for gold. Ships sailed around the Straight  of Magellan and restocked in Valpo. Everything changed with the construction of the Panama Canal. But the city is still an important port. We saw lots of shipping containers on our boat ride this afternoon.

Valpo is home base for the Chilean Navy.
It was fun to see the city from the sea on our short ride.

We did a three- hour walking tour today. The city was a magnet for immigrants in the late 1800s and you can see the European influence in architecture,  food, customs, and neighborhoods. 

Valparaiso boasts 4 universities, the oldest Spanish newspaper (El Mercurio) and Chile's first public library.
Our tour included riding several funiculars (asensor in Spanish). We also walked a lot of stairs. At the top, the views are always amazing.


Everywhere there is art. Some is "teen-age graffiti " Sebatian said. But a lot of it is created by paid professional artists. There's always a story behind the artwork.



We took our picture in front of the famous red door.










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