After traveling 400 miles south I found myself in Valparaiso, Chile, another port town north of Santiago. I was able to locate a hostel in the Cerro Concepcion district. It reminded me of Sixth Street in Austin, Texas and the French Quarters in New Orleans, Louisiana. There where colorful hillside neighborhoods with even more colorful social and political graffiti covering walls, fences, and sides of buildings. The Cerro Concepcion district also had art galleries, coffee shops, and trendy restaurants that overlooked the port.
Chile seems a lot like the United States, with the major difference being that everyone speaks Spanish. Traffic laws must be followed. You cannot pass on a curve with solid double yellow lines. PARE or stop means STOP – not slow down like in the rest of the South American counties. Everything was very orderly and on time. The police in Chile are called the Carabineros (rifleman).
As indicated earlier it was very expensive in Chile. To save on expense I had to resort to sharing my room and bathroom with fellow travelers. On this night I had to share my room with seven ladies as roommates. The things I have to put up with when traveling.
