You might also like Santiago street art.
What do you think of Valparaiso street art? Would you like to have more street art in your town or city? I'd love to read your comments.
Showing posts with label South America. Show all posts
Showing posts with label South America. Show all posts
Wednesday, 18 April 2018
Valparaiso street art
Greetings! In this post, I'm sharing my photos of some cool street art that I've seen in Valparaiso, Chile. I'll let you be the judge and decide if you like any of them.
You might also like Santiago street art.
What do you think of Valparaiso street art? Would you like to have more street art in your town or city? I'd love to read your comments.
You might also like Santiago street art.
What do you think of Valparaiso street art? Would you like to have more street art in your town or city? I'd love to read your comments.
Sunday, 8 April 2018
Wine tasting, Viña del Mar, and Valparaiso
Greetings! Chile is a long and narrow country knifed in between the Andes mountain range to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. The country's climate is quite suitable for wine production such that Chile is now the fifth largest exporter of wine in the world after France, Italy, Spain, and Australia.
With this in mind, during my stay in Santiago, I took a full day excursion to visit a winery, then Viña del Mar, a coastal resort town, and Valparaiso, a port city on Chile's coast, about 120 km (75 miles) north west of Santiago.
First stop was at Casona Veramonte winery where red and white wines were available for tasting and purchase. The main building is nice with high ceiling and large windows. All around the building are grape vines, shining in the sunlight. I walked around the vineyards a bit and watched the staff loading wine barrels onto a truck, presumably to transport them to a store.
Second stop was at Viña del Mar beach front. The town looked very developed with many residential buildings and vacation rentals. We passed by a casino but did not go in. The beach was nice and mostly empty, probably because it was a weekday. We also visited the Flower Clock before heading to a local restaurant with ocean views for a delicious seafood lunch.
The third and last stop was Valparaiso, the port city, known for its steep funiculars and colourful houses. I read that Valparaiso was built on forty two hills. Well, I walked seven of them before taking El Peral funicular, a historic monument built in 1902, to ground level to visit the busy port.
I enjoyed the excursion very much. I'd recommend visitors to Santiago to venture out of the city, either to the Pacific coast, and/ or to the Andes mountain range, for a variety of wonderful sights and experiences that Chile has to offer.
With this in mind, during my stay in Santiago, I took a full day excursion to visit a winery, then Viña del Mar, a coastal resort town, and Valparaiso, a port city on Chile's coast, about 120 km (75 miles) north west of Santiago.
First stop was at Casona Veramonte winery where red and white wines were available for tasting and purchase. The main building is nice with high ceiling and large windows. All around the building are grape vines, shining in the sunlight. I walked around the vineyards a bit and watched the staff loading wine barrels onto a truck, presumably to transport them to a store.
 |
| Grapes at Casona Veramonte |
 |
| Vineyards basking in the Chilean sun |
 |
| Red or white or both |
 |
| Wine barrels |
Second stop was at Viña del Mar beach front. The town looked very developed with many residential buildings and vacation rentals. We passed by a casino but did not go in. The beach was nice and mostly empty, probably because it was a weekday. We also visited the Flower Clock before heading to a local restaurant with ocean views for a delicious seafood lunch.
 |
| Ocean view, Viña del Mar |
 |
| Viña del Mar beach |
 |
| Viña del Mar flower clock |
 |
| Viña del Mar promenade |
The third and last stop was Valparaiso, the port city, known for its steep funiculars and colourful houses. I read that Valparaiso was built on forty two hills. Well, I walked seven of them before taking El Peral funicular, a historic monument built in 1902, to ground level to visit the busy port.
 |
| View of Valparaiso port |
 |
| Hillside houses in Valparaiso |
 |
| Colourful houses in Valparaiso |
 |
| A pretty balcony, Valparaiso |
 |
| Valparaiso, Chile |
 |
| Downhill towards the sea, Valparaiso |
 |
| El Peral funicular, Valparaiso |
 |
| Valparaiso port, Chile |
I enjoyed the excursion very much. I'd recommend visitors to Santiago to venture out of the city, either to the Pacific coast, and/ or to the Andes mountain range, for a variety of wonderful sights and experiences that Chile has to offer.
Sunday, 1 April 2018
3 days in dynamic Santiago
Greetings! After enjoying the spectacular sights in the Atacama desert, I flew back to Santiago, the capital of Chile, and spent three full days exploring the city on foot and using local public transit to get around.
Whenever I visit a new city or town, the quickest way for me to get a feel for the place and set my inner compass is to walk and use some of the landmarks as my reference points. Santiago sights spread out a bit so the metro is useful to get from A to B quickly. I was warned to watch my belongings but I did not experience any pickpocket or any harassment during my stay in Chile. I enjoyed my walks and the associated sensory experiences very much.
Stray dogs are common sights in Santiago, as in San Pedro Village. They followed me, sometimes for a few blocks, but were well-behaved. I did not touch or feed them. At first, I was kind of on alert when they approached me but since they were not aggressive, I relaxed and let them go along until they decided to leave.
My discovery walks in Santiago:
On Day 1, I spent the morning walking around on my own. To see a panoramic view of Santiago, I headed to Parque Metropolitano, and rode the funicular up to the top of Cerro San Cristobal (San Cristobal Hill). After enjoying the views, I headed back down the hill and spent time wandering the bohemian streets of Barrio Bellavista where cafe-restaurant workers were setting up tables on the sidewalks and Santiago street art was abundant. Then I crossed the Rio Mapocho (Mapocho river), noticing the love locks along the bridge railings, before entering Parque Forestal (Forestal Park), a leafy park that runs along the river. I really enjoyed this park as it has many big trees, benches, public art, fountains, and it is for pedestrians, joggers, and cyclists only. I exited the park to visit the Museo de Bellas Artes (Museum of Fine Arts). Admission to the museum is free although it cost 100 CLP (coins only) to use a locker for my backpack.
On Day 2, I joined the free Santiago Off-Beat walking tour offered by Tours4tips, the same company that offered the walking tours in San Pedro de Atacama. This tour started from the Museo de Bellas Artes at 10 AM for about 3.5 hours. Carlos, our tour guide, took us to explore the Esmeralda neighbourhood, La Chimba on the other side of the river, Mercado Central (Central Market), and La Vega market, while explaining the various waves of settlers such as Koreans, Peruvians, and Middle Easterners in Santiago. We took a short metro ride to the Santiago General Cemetery where there is a contrast between burial grounds fit for kings and small graves stacked on top of each other. This is also the final resting place of President Salvador Allende Gossens who was ousted in 1973 by a coup when Pinochet took control. The tour ended at Quitapenas Bar and Restaurant with a complimentary local drink called Terremoto (or Earthquake in English). Terremoto drink includes fermented white wine and pineapple ice cream.
On Day 3, after lunch, I joined the free Santiago Highlights walking tour, also offered by Tours4tips. This tour started from the Museo de Bellas Artes at 3 PM for about 3.5 hours. Natalia, our tour guide, took us to explore the Bellas Artes neighbourhood where I saw some of Santiago's most symbolic street art. We walked to Plaza de Armas, where the cathedral and old post office are, along the Alameda, and to the presidential palace of La Moneda and the landmark church, Iglesia San Francisco. Again we took a short metro ride and ended our tour at the Centro Cultural Gabriela Mistral GAM. After the tour, at Natalia's recommendation, I stopped for a bowl and a waffled cone of delicious ice cream at Emporio La Rosa ice cream shop and wandered in Lastarria neighbourhood.
Both Santiago walking tours were very informative. The tour guides spoke perfect English and were passionate about Santiago and Chile. Each tour had about 12 participants. Each covered about 5 km (3 miles). I'd recommend them to visitors to Santiago.
Next week, I'll share my recap and photos of my visit to Veramonte winery, Vina del Mar, and Valparaiso, about an hour from Santiago.
Whenever I visit a new city or town, the quickest way for me to get a feel for the place and set my inner compass is to walk and use some of the landmarks as my reference points. Santiago sights spread out a bit so the metro is useful to get from A to B quickly. I was warned to watch my belongings but I did not experience any pickpocket or any harassment during my stay in Chile. I enjoyed my walks and the associated sensory experiences very much.
Stray dogs are common sights in Santiago, as in San Pedro Village. They followed me, sometimes for a few blocks, but were well-behaved. I did not touch or feed them. At first, I was kind of on alert when they approached me but since they were not aggressive, I relaxed and let them go along until they decided to leave.
My discovery walks in Santiago:
On Day 1, I spent the morning walking around on my own. To see a panoramic view of Santiago, I headed to Parque Metropolitano, and rode the funicular up to the top of Cerro San Cristobal (San Cristobal Hill). After enjoying the views, I headed back down the hill and spent time wandering the bohemian streets of Barrio Bellavista where cafe-restaurant workers were setting up tables on the sidewalks and Santiago street art was abundant. Then I crossed the Rio Mapocho (Mapocho river), noticing the love locks along the bridge railings, before entering Parque Forestal (Forestal Park), a leafy park that runs along the river. I really enjoyed this park as it has many big trees, benches, public art, fountains, and it is for pedestrians, joggers, and cyclists only. I exited the park to visit the Museo de Bellas Artes (Museum of Fine Arts). Admission to the museum is free although it cost 100 CLP (coins only) to use a locker for my backpack.
 |
| Panoramic view of Santiago, Chile |
 |
| Santiago, Chile |
 |
| San Cristobal Hill Funicular |
 |
| Statue of the Virgin Mary, San Cristobal Hill |
 |
| Sidewalk tables, Barrio Bellavista |
 |
| Love locks above Mapocho River |
 |
| Fruit cups for sale by Forestal Park |
 |
| Forestal Park, Santiago |
 |
| Museum of Fine Arts, Santiago, Chile |
 |
| Statues in Museum of Fine Arts, Santiago |
On Day 2, I joined the free Santiago Off-Beat walking tour offered by Tours4tips, the same company that offered the walking tours in San Pedro de Atacama. This tour started from the Museo de Bellas Artes at 10 AM for about 3.5 hours. Carlos, our tour guide, took us to explore the Esmeralda neighbourhood, La Chimba on the other side of the river, Mercado Central (Central Market), and La Vega market, while explaining the various waves of settlers such as Koreans, Peruvians, and Middle Easterners in Santiago. We took a short metro ride to the Santiago General Cemetery where there is a contrast between burial grounds fit for kings and small graves stacked on top of each other. This is also the final resting place of President Salvador Allende Gossens who was ousted in 1973 by a coup when Pinochet took control. The tour ended at Quitapenas Bar and Restaurant with a complimentary local drink called Terremoto (or Earthquake in English). Terremoto drink includes fermented white wine and pineapple ice cream.
 |
| La Vega Market roof design |
 |
| Fish at the market, Santiago |
 |
| Fruit at the market, Santiago |
 |
| Fruit at the market, Santiago |
 |
| Watermelon fruit stand, Santiago |
 |
| Stacked graves in Santiago General Cemetery |
 |
| Greek-style mausoleum, Santiago General Cemetery |
On Day 3, after lunch, I joined the free Santiago Highlights walking tour, also offered by Tours4tips. This tour started from the Museo de Bellas Artes at 3 PM for about 3.5 hours. Natalia, our tour guide, took us to explore the Bellas Artes neighbourhood where I saw some of Santiago's most symbolic street art. We walked to Plaza de Armas, where the cathedral and old post office are, along the Alameda, and to the presidential palace of La Moneda and the landmark church, Iglesia San Francisco. Again we took a short metro ride and ended our tour at the Centro Cultural Gabriela Mistral GAM. After the tour, at Natalia's recommendation, I stopped for a bowl and a waffled cone of delicious ice cream at Emporio La Rosa ice cream shop and wandered in Lastarria neighbourhood.
 |
| Murals by Inti, Bellas Artes, Santiago |
 |
| Plaza De Armas, Santiago, Chile |
 |
| Stained glass windows, Santiago Cathedral |
 |
| Old Post Office, Santiago |
 |
| La Moneda, Presidential Palace, Santiago |
 |
| Whale display, Centro Cultural Gabriela Mistral |
 |
| Gabriela & Violeta, GAM, Santiago |
Both Santiago walking tours were very informative. The tour guides spoke perfect English and were passionate about Santiago and Chile. Each tour had about 12 participants. Each covered about 5 km (3 miles). I'd recommend them to visitors to Santiago.
Next week, I'll share my recap and photos of my visit to Veramonte winery, Vina del Mar, and Valparaiso, about an hour from Santiago.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)