There is someone walking above my room with high heels on. They take five steps to the left, wait 30 seconds then take five steps to the right. It goes on from seven to midnight and from 7 AM to the time I leave my room around 10 AM. I just want to go up there and pound on the door and scream, take your f*g shoes off!
There’s not much to do in Valpo. Lonely Planet mentioned 30-minute boat trips around the harbor for $5 so that was my biggest tour of the day. It was a little boring and I couldn’t understand a word the guy said but it was good to get out on the water.
The only other thing to do was a walking tour. I found one that included an art path at 3:00. I went back, got a hat and sunscreen and waited at the meeting spot. Nobody showed up. I was kind of bummed because there were lots of walking tours that I didn’t make time for and I really wanted to learn more about Valparaiso and its history.
So I took one of the funiculars which puts you at the top of the colored stairs and wandered about. Found many art galleries, a terrific coffee shop, and a restaurant with a terrace. And two sideways-laydown dogs.
Back at the hostel, I decided to stay in for the rest of night. As I was eating my leftover pizza in the hostel kitchen and met a girl from Germany and a man from India. The German girl, Kate, was beginning a four-month tour, and the Indian guy was here with not a plan in the world, booking hostels as he arrived in various cities. He was definitely the free spirit I long to be. He was to be travelling around the world for a year.
Kate commented that she was so happy to finally talk to people. This is common with all solo travelers, including me. It was nice to know that the intense sense of loneliness I often get while travelling is not me being unappreciative; it’s just human nature.
After chatting for awhile, she asked me and the Indian guy if we wanted to go out for a beverage. Of course, I said yes. I took them to a place at the top off the stairs I found earlier called Kapura. Since I refuse to walk up any more hills or stairs, we went downhill and then up the funicular.
At Kapuro we asked for a blankets to head off the chilly breeze and enjoyed drinks and appetizers.
Kate and I discovered that we are going to be in Buenos Aires at the same time in a few weeks so we exchanged numbers and are going to WhatsApp each other when we’re there. (WhatsAp is amazing, by the way. It’s free, it’s international, you can stay in communication with anyone without having to pay fees.).
This morning meant heading back to Santiago for one day to be there for tomorrow’s early morning departure to Puerto Natales in Patagonia.
Travel Tips and Observations
- Check your restaurant bill. Half the time they give you the check for the total including tip without mentioning it. It would be easy to double tip.
- Tap water is ok to drink in Chile.
- Don’t put toilet paper in the toilet.
- There are never paper towels in restaurant bathrooms.
- Restaurant prices are 2/3 of California prices.
- Condor bus is superior to Pullman bus. There is an option for first class on Condor which is the downstairs section. Seats are as wide as first class in a plane and recline far back. They give you a ticket when you check a bag (so did Pullman).
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