Santiago & Valparaiso - dest 9 & 10
I should have stuck with my original plan. Skip Santiago and go to Valpo. No regrets on visiting Santiago since I was with some lovely Irish folk on St Paddy’s day and there was some fine food and drinks to go around. Sara and I even made it up to the look out on St Cristobal to see the view which was nice. Quick tip, there are two hills so two stops, stay on till the very top unlike us who jumped out at the first stop and then after realising had to stand in line all over again!
Journey across Argentina to Chile
The view of Santiago from the top is really nice so I’d say it’s worth the visit and I would have probably walked had I not been a bit tipsy, I blame St Paddy’s day!
We stayed in hostels in Barrio Bellavista but I wouldn’t recommend that unless you’re up for a big party. The spot to stay where I did research is Barrio Lastarria. Either way it was a fun two days in Santiago and then we were off to Valpo to stay in my Airbnb for which I was super excited. My very own room and shower in which I didn’t have wear flip flops. I literally could not wait.
Cerro Alegre and Cerro Concepcion are the best areas to stay in. Funky bars and restaurants, cool graffiti, and some lovely views of the ocean. The bus journey is super easy and cheap and runs every hour almost. We arrived by the afternoon and spent the evening walking around, having an early sushi dinner and then a bottle of wine later we were at Sara’s hostel terrace sipping wine looking out at the gorgeous views of the sprawling city.
The next morning was a lazy one, we slept in, I took a leisurely shower and then met for a later brunch. Walking around town again and then getting ready for our 3pm walking tour. You have the T2T Wally dressed walking tours that go from Plaza Seymour every day at 10am and 3pm. The 10am one is a bit more off heat with more politics and the 3pm is a bit more touristy with more graffiti.
We had a great time, met some fun people and then went for a beer or few after. Super fun day ending with us deciding to hit the beach the next day at Viña del Mar, a more developer city only 20 min bus ride from Valpo.
Up at a casual hour we met and found a great cafe just by the bus stop. Taking a local bus we made our way. Even the buses have funky music with bob Marley on the front. The door barely ever closed and every time they stop it feels like it’s a bus stop and people get in.
It was a cold day for the beach but we still chilled out. Met two people from the walking tour the day before and one of the girls I met in Bariloche. We spent the whole day there and played a fun Israelíe card game whose name I can’t remember now but it was a perfectly relaxing day and evening. Back in Santiago we met for a nice dinner and then walked through the square where was some tango music playing and locals dancing away, we bought some bottles of wine and sat there enjoying. The last day in Valpo was simply to be in the Airbnb, enjoying the luxuries of having my own space which I knew I wouldn’t get for another good 3 weeks at the least but I also couldn’t wait for my friends to come and join me!
Valpo for me was one of my favourite places in Chile and I would have happily spent more time there if I could. The last day I sat on the roof of my Airbnb I realised that the first part of my travel was coming to an end and for me there were some small realisations.
Travel is an amazing thing. I dunno why I was worried about doing this alone. I literally love it. I fit right in. I love meeting people. Hearing about their lives, understanding a little about who they are and what got them to take this trip. Everyone has their reasons and many just simply love to travel like me. It’s what the normal should be :)
