My first day trip outside of Santiago was to the sea.

I hadn’t realized how much I had missed it until I could see it appear from the window of the bus and smell the salty air when we disembarked. I had considered taking a bus to Valparaiso and wandering the streets alone, but in the end opted to take a tour. It was more efficient, and I figured that if I enjoyed my day trip I could always return to spend more time there.

Claudio and Juan Carlos picked me up at 08:10. I was the second-to-last guest to be collected. From my neighborhood we drove out to the airport to pick up our final passenger: an American woman who was in town for the day between flights to Patagonia. And we were off.

Claudio told us not to sleep on the way; if we did he’d constantly wake us up with bits of information on our journey.

From the airport we drove west towards the Casablanca valley. He said that we’d see how the landscape would become greener in the valley, and spent some time telling us about the water rights issues that plagued the area. Throughout the country, water was an issue, as the rich secured water rights, sometimes forcing towns and villages to import water from elsewhere, even as local farms consumed all of the water available.

As we entered the valley, we stopped at a small rest stop. A man sold snacks and drinks from a folding table. He was mobbed by passengers from a bus that had also stopped to let people use the facilities and admire the view.

Our first stop in Viña Del Mar was the flower clock built for the 1962 World Cup. Claudio directed us to a set of stairs just beyond the clock and encouraged us to climb to a small viewpoint that overlooked the city. Following the coastline we could see Valparaiso, where we’d spend the bulk of the day.

We drove to the Fonck museum to see one of only two moai that sit outside of Easter Island: one is the one in front of the Fonck; the other sits in a British museum. The week before I was surprised to be able to find flights to the island and made a last minute change to a trip I had planned to the lakes district in February; I am now going to Easter Island and I cannot wait.

Nearby, Claudio pointed out a building that showed cracks from a recent earthquake. The building once belonged to a rich family. The land around it was once all vineyards, hence the name of the town. Most recently, the building had housed the library, but the cracks in the walls and foundation had made it unsafe. It was now undergoing a renovation.

In front sat a sculpture by Rodin.

We drove on. Crossing a bridge, I turned to my new friend from America and mentioned that it reminded me of Miami. She agreed. She pointed out the people walking along the sidewalks. Need more spandex, I said. She laughed.

Our next stop was the fish market by the sea. Claudio said he wanted to show us sea lions. We walked through the market, past boats and fishermen repairing nets, filleting fish, selling their wares. Between two piers we could see the sea lions, rolling back and forth in the surf. Seagulls filled the air.

From the market, Juan Carlos drove us into town, dropping us off near a church to start our walking tour of the various neighborhoods on the hill. We could hear the organist practicing inside, and the music followed us as we began our tour.

Claudio had grown up in Valparaiso and greeted people as he passed. He showed us Paola’s house, the town’s official guide dog. She was older now and on medication, but still she walks the streets and greets visitors.

We walked the narrow streets, down alleys adorned with street art and past adobe houses clad in corrugated steel stripped from shipping containers. Passing one house he pointed to an open window. It was his old bedroom. His father had sold the house to a hotelier who had plans to turn it into a hostel. However, after the town objected to the architecture of his last project, the city council refused him a building permit. It now sits in limbo.

We caught up with Paolo outside Il Paparazzo, where we stopped for lunch. Claudio had once been a chef there and commented on the dishes he had created there. He also promised us the best gin and tonic we’d ever have. He asked each of us our favorite fruit and herb and went to work, teaching us the proper way in which to prepare and mix our drinks. They were delicious, as was the lunch.

After lunch we continued our tour. The neighborhoods and street art reminded me at times of a much more chill Comuna 13, and of San Francisco. The sun was high in the sky but a sea breeze kept the town cool, and our walk was pleasant.

At one point Claudio showed us a sloped concrete slope that had once been used as a place to launder clothes. He climbed to the top and slid down.

He continued to lead us through the neighborhoods and winding streets. He stopped to help other visitors find their way and directed traffic at one point. If you don’t live here, it’s hard to know which streets connect to which, and what streets are one way. He pointed in a direction and said while we had been walking so many streets, we were now only a few blocks from where we started.

We took a funicular back down to meet Juan Carlos, but not before Claudio brought us to another slide. This one we we took, one by one, though we had to walk back up a set of stairs to the entrance of the funicular.

There were two operating in Valparaiso on different sides of the neighborhood we toured. Of the two, we took the newer one, built in 1902.

On our way back to Santiago, we made a quick stop at a winery in the Casablanca winery, where Claudio poured us a sparking wine and a sauvignon blanc. He was eager to beat the beach traffic back to the city and encouraged us to tour the estate with glasses in hand. It was a quick introduction to the region and I was happy in the knowledge that I would return the following weekend. I’ve already booked an all day wine-tasting tour. I can’t wait. 🇨🇱