Valparaíso: The colourful chaos that stole my heart
Valpo. My first true Chilean experience. It was love at first sight. Chaotic winding alleyways filled with awe-inspiring street-art, giant jumbled colourful houses stacked against crazy steep hills overlooking a stunning sunset bay, street BBQ vendors on every downtown corner and bluesy grunge rock bands playing their hearts out amongst the market crowds. I was home.
Valpo's renowned street-art piano staircase 📍Cerro Concepción
First impressions – always the most compelling.
It was late July last year when I first planted my little red booties firmly on the grimy pebbled streets of Valparaíso. I remember it vividly. I stood in awe at the top of the beautifully bohemian Cerro Bellavista, sunshine beaming down on me, surrounded by heart-stopping street art, and a breathtaking view of the entire city snuggled perfectly into the bay. I couldn't move. An emotional wave of exhilaration overcame me and I could feel myself glowing with glee. I knew right then that I had absolutely made the right choice. I was ready to explore and embrace my new home away from home.
A view of the beautiful bay and colourful chaos I grew so fond of during my morning walks
Endless exploring in the jewel of the pacific.
The first few days I spent endlessly exploring the city. I was like a kid in a candy shop. There was so much to see, I didn't know where to begin! I was riding an adrenaline high and constantly had this giant beaming smile on my face. Roaming free every morning to explore the curious winding alleyways, steep art-covered staircases and beautiful hills - absolutely my favourite part of living in Valpo. Even months later, I was still discovering new mural-covered walls, abandoned mansions on hills and cute alleyways tucked away. Everyday life in this city was an adventure and I loved every minute of it.
A Valpo kinda vibe… ‘buena onda’. Always.
Describing the energy and vibe of a city like Valparaíso is almost impossible. It's virtually indescribable. The city is electric. There is this strange, yet wonderful, mixed community of young artists, humble port workers, bohemian baysiders, politically empowered students, fisherman, and musicians. This eclectic mix of locals creates this unique and beautiful energy amongst the people which ultimately makes the city so electric with good vibes. Interesting vibes, but good vibes nonetheless.
Waking up in the peaceful early hours of the day, it almost feels like the calm before the storm. You can feel the porteños* rousing and see the packs of street dogs stretching their legs as the sun begins to rise over the grime of last night's carrete.** Then, as I would make my way down the winding Bellavista hillside for the early morning bread run, the city would start to become alive. An incredible time of the day to witness Valparaíso at its most vulnerable. Exposed to its bare bones. Without the glowing nightlights of the resto-bars and glistening of pisco sours. The real city. Authentic and grimy. Resilient and glorious. Just the way I like it.
*Valparaíso locals
**Chilean slang for 'party'
Street dogs sleeping in the main street, Calle Bellavista, in the early hours
Figuring out the ‘flaites’.
An electric vibe such as this amongst such a diverse city means mostly two things: incredibly fun and slightly dangerous. There is a huge arts and music scene, street festivals all year round and party people who really know how to have a good time. While this mix of factors creates an incredibly lively and unique city, it can also be a slightly dangerous mix. Young struggling teenagers mixed with blue-collar port workers and a budding backpacking industry has resulted in a spike in petty crime. The Chilenos refer to these sketchy/dodgy characters as 'flaites' - one of my favourite Chilenismos, despite the negative connotation. Essentially, a flaite is one of those shady characters you wanna avoid down a dark alley. It didn't take me long to figure out the flaites from the flavourful...
While I never ran into any trouble during my four months living in Valpo, I certainly encountered quite a few travellers who had their fair share of phones/wallets/cameras stolen while walking the streets and staircases of the city (usually late at night after drinking). I learnt quite quickly to leave all valuables at home and pay attention to what was going on around me. I'd tuck ten thousand pesos in my bra, speak the local lingo and walk those streets like I owned the city. Also, I don't believe walking home alone late at night after drinking is ever a sensible idea anywhere in the world (especially in a country foreign to you) so I'd do my damn best to avoid that too. I've heard many people coin Valparaíso a dangerous city however, I never felt particularly vulnerable in Valpo myself. The longer I lived there, the more I began to understand the people and the culture. I then knew that the main threat was only opportunistic petty crime, and so I would take sensible actions to reduce the chances of this happening to me. Vulnerability tends to fade away with that kind of knowledge and understanding. The genuine, enthusiastic liveliness of the porteños and the endearing glowing vibe of the city will always trump any naysayers for me. I wasn't prepared to miss out on experiencing everything this unique city had to offer for the sake of a few opportunistic thieves. Stay safe and stay fun. Hot damn, I had a good time in this city!
Drum bands, face painting & street BBQs at Mil Tambores Festival, Playa Ancha
resilience in the eyes of porteños.
There is this knowing kind of glimmer in the eyes of the Valparaíso porteños. Initially, it was something I couldn't quite work out, I couldn't quite put my finger on it. The longer I lived there, the more I began to understand. It's a flash of wisdom, and strength, and determination. But mostly, it's a flash of true resilience. It's something that reaches past their tenacious attitude, their unambiguous approach and, their humility. It's a hint at the great strength and resilience they have had to call upon, time after time, in order to survive the many challenges and upheavals this divine port city has been forced to face. Earthquakes, forest fires, tsunamis, severe economic downturns, droughts, political protests and government body strikes. The people of this port fight back stronger every time. You can see it in their eyes. Nothing short of astounding. It is an incredible cultural discovery to make and one I'll never forget. Once they could see the flicker of this understanding in my eyes, they seemed to show a new kind of respect for me. I was no longer just a foreigner living amongst them. I had started to become accepted as one of them. Well, as much as I ever could be. I felt a strong connection to Valparaíso from the first day I arrived and that connection only ever grew stronger. I have no doubt I will be returning there many times in years to come. My love for this city and its people will hold a very special place in my heart forever.
“Valparaíso, how absurd you are, what a lunatic, crazy port, what a head - rolling hills, dishevelled, you never finished combing your hair, you’ve never had time to get dressed, life has always surprised you, death has awoken you..”
