Valparaiso to Santiago Tour

Valparaiso is a coastal city with many cargo ships arriving daily.

After lining up for the sniffer dogs looking for food we may have sneaked off the ship and clearing customs, we found our tour guide and driver. They didn't know that we would have 3 suitcases apiece--maybe they should have brought a van!

Valparaiso, like Rome, was built on seven hills.

We rode the funicular up the steep side of a hill to the upper part of town. Commuters use the funicular regularly.

Here's the large wheel that carries the cable to raise the funicular several hundred feet. The wooden car with wooden benches creaked and groaned up the track but it was a fine adventure for us.

Deb and me after riding the funicular to the upper part of town.

Our driver picked us up then took us downtown to the site of an old pier they found when excavating for a new building in front of the government house. The old pier is now a museum but was closed today, hence the glass covering.

Close to the old pier I spotted this old building juxtaposed against a modern building behind it. What a beautiful photo with the sky reflecting in the windows of both buildings. But wait, there's something wrong with this photo--can you spot it? Post a comment below.

Vina del Mar is around the bay from Valparaiso. It reminds me of Miami with more modern white buildings and palm trees. We got a chance to stop and see the famous Flower Clock--it keeps accurate time.

We visited the museum, even though it was closed and found this original Easter Island statue:

and a Rodin:

Next we drove over the coast range and stopped for a lunch of local cuisune. I had a sort of shepherds pie of sweet creamed corn and chicken topped with mashed potatoes. It was too sweet for me but I ate most of it. Then on to two wineries for Deb to taste their wares.

The white wines of the Maipo Valley was not very oaky and so Deb said they tasted insipid. She did like the reds and bought some.