Three weeks in Valparaiso

Panoramic view from our balcony.  The ocean is just off to the left.

While Nik went back to Oregon to work, the kids and I have camped out in Valparaiso for three weeks, with the main goal of getting lots of home schooling done.  Once fast internet arrived, this task was much easier, and allowed for some Netflix entertainment in the evening as well.   I envisioned the need to get out of the apartment regularly to maintain our sanity, but the kids were not very eager to do so.  Also the problem of pickpocketing and purse snatching in Valpo that we have heard from just about everyone has been a deterrent to spending a lot of time wandering around.  As it has turned out, we have spent most of our time in the apartment, with a few excursions out, in addition to regular grocery store runs.  We have all managed to maintain our sanity, and the time has gone pretty quickly.  It has been a bit of a strange island of time, sandwiched between our three weeks in Peru, in which we moved a lot and did a lot, and our upcoming last two weeks in Chile, which is also going to be very busy and fun.  I guess we were all ready for this down time, and having lots of work to keep us busy has been a very good thing.  Our little apartment that we found on Airbnb has served us well.  It is in a brand new, secure building with a little laundry room and a grocery store just around the corner.  The views of the hills covered in colorful houses and buildings really make it special.  The sounds of traffic, barking dogs and frequent car alarms are balanced by "laughing" sea gulls, reminding us we are close to the ocean.

A typical pink evening sky.

Van Gogh-inspired wall art that we found on one of our trips out, in the more historic/ tourist section of Valpo.

Kids' bike rentals are common in parks in Valpo, about $1 for 15 minutes.  Sully was reluctant at first, but ended up enjoying tooling around Parque Italia while we killed time before seeing a movie across the street (Los Pingüinos de Madagascar).

Entertainment in the apartment for Sullivan included lots of Lego breaks, in between his online homeschooling, reading, etc.  He brought a small selection of Legos along on the trip in a ziplock bag, and they have served him well.  Sometimes recycled materials come into play too.  He produced a cruise ship with cereal boxes and toilet paper rolls, and some excellent pen drawing have been created by Sully and Madeleine on the cardboard rounds from frozen pizzas.  Henry has done a lot of reading and some coding when he is not doing school work, and Madeleine has been enjoying reading, artwork and music apps.  While I often curse their evil devices, they do allow for creative opportunities while traveling light.  As for me, I have been kept busy helping with school work and performing the typical domestic diva activities for my pampered and not always appreciative kids.  Then there is my role as referee/ mediator to three siblings with stubborn streaks who are spending too much time together!  I bought a yoga mat when we first arrived in Valpo and have enjoyed more exercise than I've had in the last couple of months.  I wanted to do some reading about Chile while we are in Chile, and so far I've been enjoying My Invented Country by Isabel Allende, who happens to be the niece of Salvador Allende, the former president who died during the military coup in 1973.

Madeleine's cardboard masterpiece!

A few of the Lego cast of characters hang out with their vehicles.

Landing pad/ parking garage/ Hobbit Cafe

Sometimes school work is more fun inside a fort, when a change of scenery is needed.

Sully lost 2 teeth in less than a week.  The Chilean tooth fairy is generous: 1000 pesos per tooth!

We were able to watch the Super Bowl on the computer (while doing some artwork/ crafts at the same time).

Finding a geocache near our apartment.

Our apartment building has a lovely pool, but the kids were reluctant to swim because the water was cold.  We gave it a try one day, but we could not last long in the chilly water.

 

Trying to get creative with cooking dinner; here's our version of veggie Pad Thai.

Awesome hydroponic "living" lettuce that stays happy in the fridge until it gets eaten.

I have spent many hours here and washed many dishes.  At least it has a nice view.
Also Spotify and NPR have made my task more enjoyable.

We heard that Valpo and Viña del Mar have many art performances, some of which are free.  I found one online, a free noon concert in Viña by a gospel pianist/ singing group from the US.  This was a great excuse for me to drag the kids out of the apartment and venture to Viña by metro train. We arrived to find it standing room only... standing outside that is.   It was still a great outing, and the kids were rewarded by drinks at Starbucks.  We walked around Viña and looked at the beaches, then had a late lunch at a Mexican restaurant.  Nothing too out of the ordinary by most standards, but a big adventure compared to what we did the rest of these 3 weeks!

The crew outside the Teatro Municipal in Viña del Mar.

These ladies could sing!  The crowd loved them.  They sounded great even through the closed door.

Plaza México in Viña del Mar

Apparently the folks in Viña know how to have a good time!  In all fairness, the big green recycling containers were full.

Arrived at our Mecca in Viña del Mar.

What a treat!

Sully surveys the coastline in Viña.

Entertainer in Plaza O'Higgins back in our 'hood in Valpo.  I assume that the man on the horse is O'Higgins, a leader during Chile's fight for independence and one of its founding fathers.  Lots of things are named after him.

View from Plaza O'Higgins toward our building, left background.

A few more shots from our balcony.  These views will probably be what I remember most fondly from this time.  It is a lovely city.

Planning out our last two weeks of travel in South America has helped keep me busy during this past week.  At first it felt like a daunting task, figuring out where to go and how the heck to get there.  We will spend some time in the Lake District, including a side trip to Argentina, then fly way down south and visit Torres del Paine National Park.  When trying to rationalize the high cost of staying close to the national park, I remind myself that we will be going close to "the end of the Earth!"   This is a great opportunity for us, and we are seizing it!   Tomorrow Nik returns to us after a typically grueling work trip.  We are very excited to welcome him "home" and then head south for more adventure.  Stay tuned! 

Goodnight Valpo.