Valparaiso, an assault on the senses.

Yes, we are still alive. While you were enjoying our whirlwind, demanding trip to Bolivia, we were busy retracing our way back to Central Chile, covering much of the way we had taken driving north, but trying to alter routes whenever possible. So, here we are, in Valparaiso, a syncopated, dilapidated, chaotic, colorful and poetic city.

So far, we have logged 5,784 kilometers in our car, that’s 3,600 miles, or 600 miles longer than driving from Boston to San Francisco. And that’s not counting the several hundreds of kilometers we covered in Bolivia with the group we traveled.

A most peaceful spot where we had lunch on our way back south

We left the Atacama Desert behind

So, I would say that these two days/three nights we are spending here are a well-deserved respite.

Gone is the dry desert, the high altitude. We have landed in a whole new world that’s Central Chile, and in a city that is most unique. Built on hills that begin at the ocean shore, this city is an assault on your senses. It is chaotic, and some say dangerous, but its uniqueness is magnetic.

The fresh fish here is sublime. Most of our diet has been seafood.

If you follow literature, or if you've seen the movie Il Postino, you would have heard of Nobel Laureate Chilean poet, Pablo Neruda. This is the home where he grew up. It's only a block away from our hotel.

The DJ on the terrace of our hotel, where we had dinner last night.

Today we walked an incredible distance, along Avenida Alemania in the heights, down to the seaport, around many stairways and alleyways.

What a surprise to find this viewpoint, dedicated to the town of Camogli in Liguria (the region I hail from in Italy). The sign is written in Spanish, Italian, and the Genoese dialect I grew up speaking.

This place is undoubtedly the premiere place in South America to admire street-art. Literally no building is untouched. There is art in the grittiest streets, on office buildings, on homes and businesses of all types, high in the hills or down by the water.

It is not, however, a very photo-friendly place. Wires hang everywhere, and views are always obstructed somehow.

Doors of Valparaiso

Doors of Valparaiso (Part 2)

Street artists at work

What I've given you here is the best I could do. Use your imagination, because Valparaiso is a sensory experience that a mere photo can never capture. Good night, friends.