And so . . . I'm back in the blog saddle once again. There is much work to do!
Before I get started, I have some old business to take care of. It turns out that Valparaiso's "Santiago Wanderers" futbol (soccer) team was named after the fellow that founded them . . . Santiago! Thanks Alethea.
It's time once again to clean out the miscellaneous folder, and, by looking at the pictures, it seems to break down into two categories . . . Vina del Mar and Valparaiso. We'll start with Vina.
In 1962, Chile hosted the World Cup of Soccer. The floral clock at the south end of the city was a gift from Switzerland to commemorate the event.
It continues to be a popular stop for the tourist types and, being in Vina, it is very nicely kept and maintained.
This shot isn't too far from the clock, and the building on the left is the Sheraton Hotel. As I've said before, hangin' on the beach is a popular pastime.
Tourists from Chile, Argentina and beyond come here for the sand and surf. Oddly, most beaches that we have walked along have signs posted saying that people shouldn't swim there (we assume it is because of the undertow). Some beaches will post coloured flags to indicate the level of danger on any given day.
It clearly is not a big concern for most people. Although, I believe that the majority of people on the beach are there only for the sun and sand, and never actually go in the water!
This church is in downtown Vina. We have walked by it many times but it never seemed to be open when we wanted to go in. Recently, we got our chance. Beautiful! There was also a wedding ceremony going on at the time.
OK entrepreneurs . . . listen up . . . again! If you didn't like the toothbrush vending machine idea, I have another one for you. In Vina, you can gather 20 or so of your closest friends and colleagues, sit around a table, and have a crane hoist you into the sky!
While up there, you can eat, or have a chef prepare whatever you choose to have catered, or just sit and enjoy the view. And what happens when nature calls?? Lower the crane and scamper over to the bathroom of course.
And yes, seatbelts are required. If this all sounds a little strange, I invite you to check out the website. Afterward, I suspect that it will still sound strange, but at least you will know more about it!
Alright . . . back into Valpo now. What do you do when you need more office space, don't want to move and your home is a heritage building that can't be knocked down? You save the facade, and build the new tower within the existing walls of course! Hmmm . . . interesting. This is the Plaza Sotomayor across from the statue of Arturo Prat.
On the main floor of this complex is "Easy", a giant hardware store similar to Home Depot. On the upper level is the Jumbo supermarket and from the first time that we visited Jumbo . . .
. . . I've wondered how shopping carts can go up and down the escalators without careening out of control.
And it's clearly not due to the amazing control of the drivers! These carts have been sent home by themselves!
It turns out that none of the shopping cart wheels are flat like we are used to. They all have inside and outside edges that easily fit into the slots of the escalator tracks. Now I know what you're thinking, but I assure you that this is important stuff! . . . at least as important as how the light switches work in Chile!
A little closer to home now . . .
For some reason, I really like this shot. It was taken just down the street from our apartment. The two old ladies standing in the street, the hill dropping off into oblivion, and the hills of the city in the background, somehow sum up our world. The only thing missing is a dog sleeping on the sidewalk!
Since being in Chile, we have seen people willing to work hard for what we assume to be next to no money (Washing cars, selling band-aides on the street, carrying 50-pound propane tanks up steep stair cases, etc). Here is one of many fellows in town that collect used cardboard, presumably to trade it in for a few pesos. That in itself is interesting, but Valparaiso's hills add a whole new dimension to this occupation. Consider how you might get a fully loaded wagon down a steep hill. . . . .
The short answer is to jump on and ride . . . but . . . and I can tell that you are already one step ahead of me on this one . . . how does one stop!!!! Notice the rubber pads on either side of the front wheels. The rider puts his feet on these pads and pushes down!! I'm not kidding! Yup, just one step up from Fred Flintstone's brakes. As a side note, I believe that these wheels are not actual wheels at all, but old bearings and all of these carts use them.
And if a cardboard collector is really doing well, he uses one of these units!!
This fellow is a charming throwback to an earlier time. He is the local knife sharpener and occasionally wanders the neighborhood with his cart, stones and whistle.
This clip is just so that you can hear the lovely sound of the whistle. The video itself is not important. (You can also hear the dogs barking!)
A trip to the Portales fish market revealed another welcome discovery . . . an English speaker. Here, she is holding one of the two Reineta that we bought that day. Two fish translated into three meals plus some leftover snacks. Charlene enjoys leftover fish for breakfast!!
Click "Play" if you want a lesson in filleting!
We always enjoy coming across cute and interesting critters during our travels. This guy doesn't seem to share that emotion! He couldn't have cared less if we were there or not, and despite our gentle verbal prodding, he never even bothered to open his eyes. He is sleeping on a binder full of small posters and pictures in plastic sleeves.
And finally, this guy!! Strangely, in a city of about 300,000 people, seeing a donkey on the street is not all that unusual. And yes . . . that's a "No Parking" sign that he is tied to!
Isn't he just the cutest thing . . . in a homely sort of way!
And speaking of critters . . . Charlene sacrificed herself today to the first and only mosquito that we have seen since being in Chile. I don't expect to see another as long as we stay in the city, but it's possible should we once again find ourselves in the campo (country).
Mission accomplished! Our file of bits and pieces is now empty.
We've now been away from home for just over five months! Before leaving, friends warned us that the time would fly by. We wanted so much not to believe them but sadly . . . they were right. We are now just a few days away from leaving Valparaiso and embarking on the final leg of our adventure. We are sad to be leaving but excited about what lies ahead. You, however, will have to tune in later for the details!
Hasta luego,
Amor,
Norm and Charlene
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