Sunday, October 26, 2014

Places to Go in Viña del Mar

Viña del Mar is more of a residential area than a commercial area (the opposite of Valparaíso). That being said, there are still plenty of places to go visit in Viña for a good chilean experience. Viña is more of a "buy local" economy than what I have seen in Santiago and Valparaíso, although there are many mom&pop shops everywhere you go. I have a few favorite places to go in Viña and I'm super excited to tell you about them.
First of all, you absolutely have to go to the feria de verduras (the vegetable fair). The feria that I am talking about is very close to the Viña bus terminal and the Viña del Mar station for the metro. At this feria you can find fresh fruits and vegetables from 20+ different vendors. It doesn't matter at what time you go, it is always super busy, although that is probably due to the fact that it has some of the most delicious fruits and vegetables you can find in the area and the best prices. You can easy get 1 kilogram (about 2 pounds) of any fruit or vegetable for a dollar or two. It is absolutely worth the visit. It is only open on Wednesdays and Saturdays, so you should plan your trip around that fact. If you plan to visit the feria, you will be right by the downtown area (that I will tell you about in just a bit) that will help you to fill up your day with wonderful Viña experiences. The feria has booths that are covered in blue and yellow canvas and is down under a bridge. Very interesting place to visit.
This is the church that you will see
upon exiting the station. If you keep
it to your left you will come to Quinta.
(Sorry, I couldn't find any pictures of
the shops)
Next, downtown Viña area. If you get off the metro at the Viña del Mar station, walk out the only exit and keep going straight (do not cross the road to the side with the church or the restaurants....unless you want to eat real quick), you will cross a little path way that you can go down if you want to, or keep walking until you get to Quinta and turn right. You will see a bunch of shops and people. You have officially found the downtown area. There are a lot of small shops and restaurants that you can stop at. This is a nice place to just walk around and see how people make money in Viña. If you follow Quinta to the end (about three blocks) and look to the right you should be able to see the feria not too far away. If you only have one day to spend in Viña, I would recommend going to this area. It is a good way to see how life is in Viña. Warning: everything is closed on Sundays.
One of the biggest tourist attractions in Chile is right here in Viña. If you go to the Miramar station and walk towards the ocean (take the larger exit and walk strait), you will eventually come across the Reloj de Flores (flower clock). I was constructed for the FIFA World Cup when it was held in Chile so many years ago. The idea was that people would come for the World Cup, but would travel to see the Reloj de Flores and help the economy in the Viña-Valpo area. Since then the size, flowers, and hands have been changed many times. The picture to the right is a current photo, but it might be different when you get here. Even with the changes, it is still a very impressive thing to see. As long as the clock is working, there will be a bunch of people taking pictures. If it's not, there probably won't be many people, but to me, that's the perfect time to take the picture because then you won't have a bunch of strangers in it. And while you're in the area, just walk over to the beach to relax a little bit.
So, this area is definitely more of an area to visit than just one thing. You have to find your way to Libertad. Libertad is a well known street in Viña. There are several micros that have "Libertad" as one of their signs/locations. If not, from Valpo, just take a micro that says Viña, and from anything after the Miramar station (Viña del Mar, Hospital, Chorrillos), take a micro that says Valpo. Once you get to Libertad, just walk the street. When you come to the cross road of 4 Norte (4 North), turn right and you will find the Fonck Museum (Museo Fonck). This museum has a lot of interesting things and some staff that speaks English. You can learn about the Mapuche (native tribe of the area) all the way to the araña rincon (corner spider). Out side of the museum is yet another of the statues from Easter Island.
If you keep walking Libertad, take it all the way to 15 Norte (15 North) to find the Mall. Yes, we all know what malls are like in the United States, and it is fairly similar, but it is still nice to see these kinds of places. The shops tend to be a lot smaller (unless it's a chain). And from the mall, if you cross Libertad and continue a block or so, you will come to a very nice beach (which I talked about in the previous post). This is another good way to spend a full day in Viña.

Now, not to promote gambling or any other bad habits, but if you follow the coast line back towards where you came from, you will eventually come to the Casino. I have never been, but the outside looks nice. Anyhow, along that walk, you will come across many street vendors and even carriages (that you can take for a tour of Viña). It's a very beautiful walk.


So, as you have read, I have said that you should walk to a lot of these places. The reality is that walking is the easiest way to get around. Remember to pack your comfortable (but not too touristy looking) shoes so that your feet aren't mad at you at the end of the day.

Sunday, October 19, 2014

¡Vamos a la playa! (We are going to the beach!)

Before I get too far into my excursions to the beaches, you need to know one very important word, that word would be: playa. Playa means beach in Spanish. So when I put "Playa Acapulco" it means Acapulco Beach. Good? Great!!
In the Viña del Mar-Valparaíso area there are many beaches that you can visit. Some of them are absolutely beautiful, others...well, not quite so much. Yesterday, I went on a tour with ISA (International Studies Abroad), the program that I came with to Chile for my study abroad experience. We visited four different beaches, all of which I will tell you about. I will also tell you about the three beaches that I visited previously (and are much closer/easier to get to).
So, let me start with the three that I previously visited: Playa Caleta Portales, Playa Caleta Abarca, and Playa Acapulco.
Playa Caleta Portales: At this beach you can find a restaurant, some public work out equipment, and a fish market. Also, if you walk a little ways (towards the Naval Academy - to your right if you are looking at the ocean), you can find a statue that was once part of Easter Island (which is really expensive to visit) and some other good sights to see. To get to this beach, I recommend using the metro system. You need to get off at the Portales Station and it'll be right there. Very easy to get to.


Playa Caleta Abarca: You can also find a restaurant at this beach, but since it is in Viña del Mar, you will not find a fish market here (that is a Valparaíso thing). I enjoy visiting this beach, especially since it is so close to where I am staying for the semester. To get to this location, I have two very easy ways to get here, it just depends on where you are staying and if you feel like walking a bit or not. You can either take a micro (bus) to the Reloj de Flores (flower clock) and walk from there, which is very quick. Or, the way that I usually go, is by metro. You just have to get off at the Miramar station, go out the larger exit (this station is underground), and keep walking until you hit water. This way will also take you past the Reloj de Flores (which is something that you should visit, but we will cover that another time).
Playa Acapulco: This is one of my favorites, but more for the artisan stands than the beach atmosphere. At this beach, there are lots of things to see and do. All along this beach there are stands of different artisans. They have scarves, drink glasses, magnets, posters, and street art (the spray paint art is my favorite). The majority of the things here are very cheap and good for tourist shopping. You can also find a couple of churro places (absolutely delicious) and an ice cream place (supposedly the best in Chile). Of course, there is a restaurant or two (there is usually at least one, I have yet to find a beach without one). To get to this place you should take a micro to the Mall in Viña del Mar, then walk towards the ocean (crossing Libertad then 1 Poniente).

And finally, the four beaches that I visited yesterday: Roca Oceánica (not really a beach, but a beautiful view of the coast), Con-con, Horcón, and Zapallar.
Roca Oceánica: As I said earlier, this one is not really a beach. It is a giant collection of rocks that makes for a beautiful view of the coast. It is a great place to go and sit for the day and enjoy the sun and the water (without getting wet).
Con-con: This beach is usually super crowded with the surfer types, so if you like to surf, go here. I believe they have surf boards that you can rent for the day, there may even be a place to buy your own if that's what you prefer to do. Also, on the weekends, they have horses that you can ride along the little creek that runs out to the ocean. It's a nice, calm ride and only 3,000 CHP (about 6 USD). It's about a half hour. Definitely something fun to do while you're there. Just remember, this beach is very crowed almost always, so if you want a beach to yourself (or pretty darn close), don't go to Con-con.

Horcón: This beach is a little more like a cove than anything else. This area is primarily a fishing area. You can go to any of the many restaurants for some good, fresh sea food empanadas and soups. They also have vegetarian options if you do not like/eat sea food. This area has and artisan shopping area as well, although not as nice as the one at Playa Acapulco. Just a piece of advice: if you do not speak Spanish, do not go to this area, unless you don't mind cat-calls. We were all told to watch our bags in this area as well, so be careful. It's a nice place, just have to be cautious.

Zapallar: This beach is definitely my favorite. It is a little more private that the rest of the beaches, is surrounded by mountains and grand houses (of politicians, artists, and foreigners). Although it is very beautiful, I would not recommend getting in the water unless you know how to swim very well. The waves are absolutely huge, which means the pull that they have when they regress back to the ocean is very strong. It is very easy to get pulled under, so be careful. Go in groups so you can watch each others' backs. On the upside, the atmosphere is much more friendly than at Horcón.
At every beach you can find some kind of restaurant and usually a street vendor or two that has candy, water, kites, and other basics. Please take time to visit all of these places so that you can find your favorite. They are all very beautiful in their own ways, just remember to be careful and go with a group.

Friday, October 10, 2014

Places to Go in Valparaíso

This is the view of Valparaíso from the top of Cerro Alegre
Valparaíso is a grand city with a lot to offer visitors. There are some touristic areas that are wonderful to visit. These places are very safe and some vendors speak English to help assist the tourists, although their English tends to be quite basic (just what they need to know to sell products) and usually has a heavy chilean accent.
The blue building in the back is the
 Armada at the Plaza Sotomayor
Anyhow, the places that I recommend are along the farther end of the city. Well, it's far to me since I live in Viña, but the reality is that it's more like the middle of the city. If you take Metro Valparaíso, you will always ride it in Direction Puerto because you will be getting off at the Puerto Station. When you leave the station, if you look around, you will notice that on one side there is the ocean and on the other side is a plaza. This is Plaza Sotomayor. It has office buildings, cafés and the Armada (Naval building). This is a great place to take some pictures and enjoy some good coffee. There is also a tour that starts here twice a day every day. It is called Tours 4 Tips. You can either go at 10am or 3pm. It is about a 3 hour walk around the area with historical facts about Valparaíso. It is all in English, and I recommend doing it. It takes you to Cerro Alegre, Cerro Concepción, Cerro Bellavista and the port. Which are all places that I suggest visiting.
This is the acensor/funicular/elevator that
you would take to get to the top of Cerro
Alegre to see the view of the picture at the
top of this entry.
Cerro Alegre and Cerro Concepción are very close together and are very good for tourist visits. These hills (cerros) mainly consisted of foreigners when they started building. They are filled with beautiful graffiti and houses. If you go to Plaza Sotomayor, looking at the Armada building, walk towards it and head to the left. You will see a funicular/acensor/elevator that is usually working that you can take to the top and walk around to view the hill. At the top is a great view of Valparaíso and the port. Absolutely beautiful.
Palacio Baburizza (Museum
on Cerro Alegre)




As I said in my last blog, you can also find one of Pablo Neruda's houses in Valparaíso. It is in Cerro Bellavista, pretty darn close to the top. Cerro Bellavista also contains some of the Free Air Museum, which is a walking tour of graffiti that was paid for to try to beautify the city and stop the buildings form being tagged, which is very common in Chile. I recommend trying to at least see a few of these master pieces because they are absolutely incredible.


One of my favorite pieces of graffiti that is part of the Free Air Museum.
If you are not feeling so confident in doing this on your own or with a couple of friends, please take the Tour 4 Tips. The average tip is 5000-10000 Chilean Pesos (10-20 USD) for this wonderful tour. This tour also exists in Santiago, starting at the Plaza de Armas. The Santiago tours are also at 10am and 3pm, but the tours are different. If you use the Metrored (there are several lines, use the Red one for this), you would get off at the station Universidad de Chile, after that, just ask where the Plaza de Armas is, and head that way. I have not taken this tour, but I'm sure it is just as wonderful as the one in Valparaíso and I recommend doing as many tours as you can, especially if you want to learn about Chile's history and you don't have much time here.

View of Vaparaíso from the water.






Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Pablo Neruda

Chile was once home to the famous poet Pablo Neruda. He is well known for his love poems, but of course there is so much more than that. He was very politically active, especially during the dictatorship of Pinochet, but we won't get too deep into that. After his death, his homes eventually became museums and you can visit them whenever you please (minus Mondays, all of the museums in Chile are closed on Mondays). He had three homes, one for each wife (he was married three times and divorced twice, just for the record).

Neruda has a very strong history here in Chile. Visiting his houses is highly recommended. Within each house, you can take a tour and enjoy all of the nic-nacs that Neruda enjoyed collecting during his life time. There are also little gift shops inside that sell his books, poems, and other items with his poetry, picture, famous quotes on them.

La Chascona - Santiago















La Isla Negra - Out side of the house, over looking the ocean (it would be to the right way off of this photo) is where the remains of Pablo Neruda are buried. And, contrary to the name, it is neither on an island nor is the house black. But, when visiting this site, it is fairly isolated from the rest of the area and the rocks and sand on the beach bellow are black. Making it "the black island".




La Sebastiana - Valparaíso