The road winds 75 miles east of Santiago to the coast at Valparaiso, the second largest city in the country and one of the Pacific coast's most important seaports. It's also been home to Chile's National Congress since it was moved there in 1990 and, since 1993, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its hilly layout is disorienting to drive (it's partly because of the these slopes and the natural
amphitheatre-like setting that the city has its UNESCO status, partly
due to its colourful and varied architecture)
We weave up the small steep streets to the Naval Museum hoping for a view
but parking attendants move in on us so we leave to find the coast road we missed. I'm suspicious of a couple in a car which seems to linger, so much so that I take a photo to put them off if they're watching us
When they leave, I assume I've been paranoid and don't mention it to Duncan. He doesn't mention the black car matching our speed for the 2 miles back into town, which doesn't (odd when most Chilean drivers do) overtake us when he slows
At a set of traffic lights, he feels something: the black car's passenger has tried to open our boot. He sees her retreating and they drive off quickly, unhappy that our automatic door-locking is on!
We weave up the small steep streets to the Naval Museum hoping for a view
but parking attendants move in on us so we leave to find the coast road we missed. I'm suspicious of a couple in a car which seems to linger, so much so that I take a photo to put them off if they're watching us
When they leave, I assume I've been paranoid and don't mention it to Duncan. He doesn't mention the black car matching our speed for the 2 miles back into town, which doesn't (odd when most Chilean drivers do) overtake us when he slows
At a set of traffic lights, he feels something: the black car's passenger has tried to open our boot. He sees her retreating and they drive off quickly, unhappy that our automatic door-locking is on!
The next town along the coast is Vina del Mar, nicer but still a sky-rise of apartments and bars. We prefer the Pacific coast
and smaller towns: Concon with
its crashing waves, pelicans and wing-drying cormorants
Lunch facing the sea, with a seal popping up occasionally, and onward to our colourful rustic apartment, in the town of Horcon
Lunch facing the sea, with a seal popping up occasionally, and onward to our colourful rustic apartment, in the town of Horcon
cozy, compact and well-equipped, with a nice terrace looking out to sea
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