This morning we grabbed our bags and left Santiago for the seaside city of Valparaiso, about 90 minutes away. We took transit: the subway to Universidad de Santiago, then the bus to Valparaiso.

From the bus window Chile looks hilly and parched, with scrubby trees. As the bus approached the coast, vineyards became common and large pine trees appeared. Chile reminded me of California.

Suddenly the hillsides appeared covered with shack homes and the bus entered the vehicle- and people-packed Valparaiso. I hoped where we were staying was not so crowded.

We walked out of Valpariso's bus station feeling what I always feel in a new city: disoriented and uncomfortable. Every city's street life feels unfamiliar at first though it doesn't take long for that to recede. Fortunately the geography of Valpariso, the ocean on one side, the hills on the other, reveals where we need to go. We walk parallel to the ocean through the congested commercial center that is compressed between the port and the hills. This part of the city has seen better days but the light of the seaside and the cool ocean breeze feels good. We pass several pastry shops but I keep my focus on getting to the apartment.

After fifteen minutes walk we turned to the east and walked up a windy narrow street. The sidewalk became a twisty staircase . The noise of tires on cobblestone revealed the approach of a car without having to look. The buildings became more colorful. Camera-toting tourists (my people!?) replaced locals. We figured we must be near our destination.

After about fifteen minutes of climbing we turned onto Galos street and were immediately at number 595. The apartment, Casa Galos, is spacious, airy and modern.

Jorge, the proprietor, preps the apartment's kitchen with food (juice, cheese, coffee,...) for the next morning. Guests make their own eggs and fresh morning bread is left at the door. Jorge stays awhile to recommend restaurants and ice cream shops and funiculars and neighborhoods to avoid.

We've come to Valparaiso to see funiculars and colourful buildings and ocean views. We unpack then walk a short block further up the hill to a market but it is closed. I'm still not accostomed to the closing times of Chilean businesses. Restaurants close on Saturday evenings, grocery stores close for afternoon siestas. Work-life balance is all very nice but some choices strike me as odd.

We rest a bit then head out for a walk around the neighborhood, Cerro Alegre, and down to a neighborhood nearer the water, Cerro Concepcion. I am struck by the colours of the buildings and the murals and the art everywhere i look. Inside, outside, art and architecture and decay compete for attention. I love it. It is a visual feast. I am reminded of San Francisco, the hills, the light, the colourful victorians, but it is all turned up a notch. Many buildings are in a serious state of decay, the sidewalks are rough, the streets are steep, and some streets are just staircases (some painted in rainbow colors). What fun! There are plazas overlooking the ocean and colourful old buildings perched on hillsides.

We then head back towards the apt but stop for dinner at a Chilean restaurant (Cocina Puerto) for a tasty meal accompanied by a couple of pisco sours, the official mixed drink of South America. The waiter translates the menu. My dictionary and phrase book don't include all the words used in menus, so a helpful waiter earns an extra tip.

I'm struck once again by how different this city is from the previous and how friendly the people are, and I am very pleased with the variety that South America has to offer. From Buenos Aires to Tilcara to Salta to Atacama to Santiago and finally Valparaiso, each is worth a visit.