Who on earth designed the city plans for Valparaiso? In fact I don't think there even are any. At first glance it appears that the houses are built almost on top of each other, and they basically are. Any smidge of free space is seen as a potential dwelling and as a result, houses of all shapes and sizes have been strewn along the coast, way up the steep incline that the city is perched on all the way to the summit. The consequent view of these houses are spectacular. So much so that it has been declared a UNESCO world heritage site. But the tangled mess of electrical wiring and high unemployment (the highest in Chile) gives the city a rough appearance. Nevertheless, I was still eager to check out the amazing views for myself and see what is so special about Valparaiso.

Running on low to no sleep I made it to the seedy, gypsy-run neck of the city. After being warned to hold on to my bag for dear life, I wandered down the market street, which was located on the island strip of a huge highway. The abundance of single shoes, backpacks and car stereos suggested that this was an opportunity for the unlucky tourist to reclaim all of his/her stolen items. However, it was also enjoyable to have a chat to the locals and admire the enormous variety of goods for sale.

Recharging my batteries with the "menu del dia" (fish, mash, salad) I finally made my way to a less shady part of the city. Here, the best way to scale the steep streets is by funicular - an elevator-like cart on rails that takes people up and down. I made it up to on of the higher points of the city for an amazing sight of thousands of different coloured houses scattered as far as you can see. Definitely worth it for that photo opportunity, as I appreciated it even more in my exhausted state.

15 minutes away I arrived at the extremely leafy city of Viña del Mar. Much larger than Valparaiso, but less talked about. Located on the beach but playing host to an unpleasant looking/smelling canal closed off from the ocean. The green plazas and tree lined parks were nice for a walk around and bite to eat. I knew I had overstayed my welcome when a passed out bloke started pissing mid-snooze. In no time is was back on the bus to Santiago.