The World is a Big Bright Beautiful and Tainted Canvas

6.4.2015 Thursday

My first weekend in Santiago granted me with the grand opportunity to travel to the Pacific Coast of Chile to see the amazing cities of Valparaiso and Vina del Mar. Saturday morning at 9:30 my classmates and I boarded a bus for an hour and a half long ride to the coast. To get there, we ventured through the mountains. However, sleep-deprived and, let's be honest, accustomed to seeing mountains, I slept for a good portion of the journey.

Upon arrival, with our incredibly knowledgeable Chilean guide Philippe, we began a surprisingly rigorous ascent to the house of Pablo Neruda, La Sebastiana, that is located on one of the mountainsides (hillsides - sometimes my Colorado pride shows) of Valparaiso. 

The winding roads of the house-lined mountains are so narrow and steep that we were unable to ride the bus to our destination. It was a short walk of only about 25 minutes, but, I assure you, it was like the hills of San Francisco times ten. 

A short distance from Neruda's house, we stopped at a small plaza where there is a nice park and statue of Neruda. We chose to be touristy, naturally. 

Upon reaching Neruda's house, which is now a museum, we took sometime to explore the poet-diplomat's residence. The house was very tasteful, but unfortunately we were not allowed to take pictures of the inside. However, we were permitted to take pictures of the view from his windows. And man, is it a view.

After exploring the five-story home, we began our descent, but this time more slowly so we could take in the sites. Valparaiso is breathtaking because the city is literally a canvas of numerous artists whose names you will never know. There's something beautiful about that... Somebody sharing their talents, their thoughts, their creations with you and not expecting recognition. Rather, they simply desire that you see the beauty that surrounds you. I wish I would have had more time to explore Valparaiso because the city is living art and it was impossible to absorb it all: the colorful buildings, the inimitable graffiti, the cobbled streets, all situated between the rolling mountains of the Andes and the crystal blue Pacific. Spine-tingling. 

At the base of the mountainside, we hopped back on the bus and headed to a heavenly ocean-side lunch. I enjoyed a shot of pisco sour (tastes like a very sour lemon Popsicle), shellfish empanadas, ceviche (marinated raw fish), chicken, rice, salad, potatoes, red wine, coffee ice cream with chocolate chunks, and a shot of Amaretto to wash it all down. A full afternoon remaining of walking was not exactly ideal after packing it in, but I'm sure I needed the exercise. 

The rest of the afternoon and into the evening I continued to explore the twisting cobbled streets and appreciated the artistry, style, and creativity of the city in the presence of good friends - what could be better? As part of our city-walk we also spent some time buying artisan gifts from the local vendors and even had the opportunity to ride an ascensor (twice!), one of the more common trademarks of Valparaiso. 

Philippe even showed us a giant slide in between the many houses. This, of course, was also covered in graffiti. 

We ate dinner rather late, around 9:30, and it was certainly not near as spectacular as lunch, but at that point I was so tired and hungry that I did not care. Slightly rejuvenated from the food, I decided to go to a restaurant/bar with a smaller group of people (around 8 or so) and have a night cap to toast to this beautiful city. 

On our walk back to the hotel, we became friends with one of the many stray dogs that live in Chile. It is very common for families to purchase a puppy for their children and then get rid of the pet once it is bigger and "less cute." It's really quite tragic. In Santiago there are more than 200,000 strays that wander the streets every day and many of them are not sterilized. However many of the dogs are incredibly smart and navigate the streets better than I do. I named our new found friend Diablo and he accompanied us all the way back to our hotel. I didn't look at him as I entered the doors and had to leave him behind. 

Even in the most bright and beautiful corners of the earth there will always be dark stains. Diablo is only a stray dog, a sight I see everyday in Santiago. Still, seeing this speck of sadness in such a gorgeous place caused me to think. 

I love Valparaiso. Yet, there is no perfect place on this earth and even in this colorful city people endure hardships just like everywhere else. It's sad, but it's a part of life, a price for the sin and wickedness we all commit everyday. Moreover, sometimes because of the ugliness of the world we appreciate the things that are good and lovely so much more. Just like how God has allowed me to marvel at his grace though my sin is an ugly stain. I rejoice that through Christ I have something so much better to look forward to than this curving city. But, until then, I will dream of the painted walls and roads of Valparaiso. 

Ciao!

"We the mortals touch the metals,

the wind, the ocean shores, the stones,

knowing they will go on, inert or burning, 

and I was discovering, naming all the these things:

it was my destiny to love and say goodbye."

-Pablo Neruda (Still Another Day)

Valparaiso: Ciudad de arte, ciudad de mi alma.