Valparaiso, Chile

by Delilah (Aged 19)
(England)

The old traditional port of Chile, the city rises above the endless stretch of the Pacific, with the buildings clinging to the steep hillside that enclose the harbour.

The city has a magically old bohemian atmosphere about it, with gaily painted houses, shops and coffee bars, many of them adorned with brightly themed graffiti art work or even poems spray painted onto the walls. This is where the Avant Garde come to in Chile and I instantly feel excited upon my arrival.

One can walk for miles and miles along steep paths, into the hill, resting at the lookout points along the way, a perfect opportunity to see the sea. In the distance, beyond a curve in the shoreline, the popular beach resort of Vina del Mar can be seen: it is easily reached by a speedy metro train that stops in several portside stations at the bottom of the city.

On my first day in Valparaiso I went on my own little pilgrimage to see one of the three homes of Pablo Neruda, Chile's rose of a poet. Mournful, Lusty and Romantic, his poetry had inspired and fuelled my trip to South America. Darling Neruda! How many clear, still evenings had I spent on beaches reading his poetry aloud to mix in the air with the breaking of the waves and cry of endless seabirds. As I stood in his front room, filled with magnificent artefacts from across the globe, with light streaming in through the shining stained glass windows, I felt immensely privileged to be in Chile, land of hope, of strung out revolution, of peace.