Valparaiso

Valparaiso has a population of 35.000, and is the second largest city in Chile, after the capital Santiago. The city is one of the most important ports on the South American West coast. Valparaiso is also the port of the Chilean navy.

We were lucky: About two weeks after we joined the cruise, a major earthquake and tzunami hit the Chilean coast, killing about 550 people and damaging 300-400.000 homes. Valparaiso was very hard hit with serious damage. The ground moved so much that the property lines had to be re-measured.

Valparaiso

Valparaiso is 120 km West of Santiago

Valparaiso

Very good rolds among the hills

Valparaiso

Grape field next to a winery

Valparaiso

Aproaching Valparaiso, a market place on the wide pavement between the traffic lanes

Valparaiso

Rubinson Crusoe Inn, where we stayed

Valparaiso

The hotel restaurant is located on top of the building across the street

Valparaiso

A nice place to relax at the hotel

Valparaiso

The roof terrace, with a splendid view across the city and harbor

Valparaiso

The Valparaiso bay

Valparaiso

Stairs up to the restaurant. All food had to be carried. During the eathquake, they lost only one wine bottle

Valparaiso

The restaurant with blue china on the table

Valparaiso

Colorful buildings in many places

Valparaiso

Restaurant Gato Tuerto- the One Eyed Cat - on the top

Valparaiso

Entrance to the colorful building

Valparaiso

Lunch with a view!

Valparaiso

The city center and the naval fleet outside

Valparaiso

View toward teh West

Valparaiso

Step hillside - colorful buildings

Valparaiso

Funicular / ascensor Espiritu Santo. With all the steep hills, Valparaiso has 22 that carry people about 40 m up

Valparaiso

Entrance and the steep rails. One up, one down

Valparaiso

Traction on steel ladders

Valparaiso

Protesting pair - for what?

Valparaiso

This jetty dissapeard into the sea during the earthquake

Valparaiso

On of the main churches in back of the hotel restaurant

Valparaiso

Steep street and colorful buildings

Valparaiso

A highrise apartment house - is the ground safe on the steep hillside?

Valparaiso

Valparaiso's own Arc de Triumph- note insription: Colonia Britania

Valparaiso

Valparaiso has many stately buildings from the colonial times

Valparaiso

And monuments and modern buildings

Valparaiso

Modern office building

Valparaiso

The Marine Ministry

Valparaiso

Plack from the war of Independence from the Peru in 1818

Valparaiso

Tourist life at the harbor

Valparaiso

Colorful murial, this with the Girl from the Family of Man, a famous photo exhibition in 1955

Valparaiso

Another murial in the same area

Valparaiso

A blue house on a green hillside

Valparaiso

The stairs down to the city center

Valparaiso

Sonja and Petter when embarking on the Norwegian Sun

Valparaiso

The cruise ship with a capacity of 2400 passangers (we were 1400)

Valparaiso

The sun deck - and relaxation for two weeks!

Sonja and Petter when embarking the Norwegian Sun