Going Up!

We've decided that we will try to visit and photograph all fifteen of Valparaiso's famous ascensores/funiculars. While you have seen some of them as part of past blogs, this entry will feature three that we visited recently. One will be quite ordinary (if any of them can be called ordinary), one will be one of the most photographed and painted, and one will be unique among the fifteen.

Let's start with the most interesting, and our favorite so far. Three things make the Ascensor Polanco unique. First, it runs vertically like a modern elevator shaft. Secondly, it stops half way for passengers to load and unload. And thirdly, it appears to have received a recent face lift.



Even though the ascensores are a major tourist attraction for the city, most look very run down and tired . . . nothing more than a means to an end . . . getting up and down the steep slopes. The Polanco is the exception so far. The entrance is surrounded by interesting, well maintained stone work, flowers and fresh paint.



If you look closely, and have better eyes that I do (or expand the picture) you will see the name arched across the doorway. You may also notice "1915 " in the brickwork. Most of the funiculars were built in the late 1800's and early 1900's.



After paying the toll of about 200 pesos (40 cents CDN), and passing through the turnstile, we entered a very long tunnel that took us directly into the Cerro Polanco (Polanco Hill).



At the end of the tunnel, we boarded the elevator and ascended to the mid point where a passenger disembarked. As I mentioned, this is the only ascensor that stops mid way. The bottom of the tower in the next picture is the mid point where the elevator emerges from the hill, stops, and then proceeds to the top. From the top level, the catwalk to the left is the last leg of the ascent.



This is the view from the top of the tower with the harbour in the background.



The walk back down the hill was one of those unexpected treasures that we have talked about.
The stone sidewalks, steps, and water channels were incredible!



We also stopped in a small shop along this street and relieved the merchant of several paintings!
We had been wanting to find some artwork of the city and there was no reason to pass up this opportunity.



Not only was this our favorite ascensor, but it was one of my favorite parts of the city. The tunnel, the elevator, and the stone walkways back to sea level made for a great afternoon and some lasting memories.



Now . . . on to the "ordinary"! The Ascensor Espiritu Santo is much like most of the other lifts.
The ascensor entrances can be hard to find as they are often tucked between buildings. This one happened to have a street sign but most are not marked very well.



It seems that the ascensores are maintained and repaired as they would have been when they were built. This results in a rustic charm and a ride that can sometimes shake your confidence in a safe journey. While one car ascends, the other descends, using each other to counter balance the weight. Very clever!



It seems to us that there are a few standard scenes depicted in much of the artwork of Valparaiso. Ascensor Baron is one of them. Built in 1906, it was the first to be powered by an electric motor. It also happens to be on the route we take while waking from our home on Cerro Placeres to the grocery store on Avenida Argentina. The highway to Vina is in the background with the harbour beyond that. Notice how the building protrudes to accept the upcoming car.





This is one of the few side shots I have of a car. Ascensor Baron is no longer operating. I'm not sure if this is temporary or whether it was closed due to the changes in the roadways and port at its foot. There are also others in the city that are out of order for one reason or another (more on that at the bottom of the post).





The following is taken from the November 6th edition of the Valparaiso Times. (Written by Kat Shiffler; EL MERCURIO)

One of port city Valparaíso’s treasured ascensores (hillside cable cars) will be sold to the highest bidder next year. The privately owned “La Cruz” ascensor is one of the 30 original ascensores in the port city, almost half of which are now non-functional because of fires, earthquakes and mechanical failures over the years. In Valparaíso, there were 15 ascensores designated as historical monuments between 1976 and 1999. Of those 15, nine belong to the private Ascensores of Valparaíso Company, including the “El Lechero” ascensor destroyed in a fire in 2007. Only five elevators belong to the city of Valparaíso.

That's all for the ascensor section of the blog. Just a note before we go. . .

It's garbage collection day in the neighborhood, and this is how its done! We can only assume that the two bags hanging from a nail in the tree contain garbage that the dogs might enjoy. Others hang the bags on the fence, while others put it all on the ground. It's no secret what happens to those canine gifts! The garbage trucks are very similar to the older ones that we have at home where the crew tosses the trash in the back where it gets compacted.



This home is just to the right of the previous shot. A lovely place not too far from our apartment.



The Mendoza trip was wonderful and after going through the 200 plus pictures . . . there are still over 100 that may be blogworthy! What to do? Stay tuned . . . when we figure it out, you'll be the first to know!

Hasta luego!!
Amor,
Norm and Charlene