January 6, 2011 (part IV)
Acensores y Escaleras means "elevators and stairs" in Spanish - two things that Valparaíso has a lot of. Many of the acensores (or
funiculares, as they're also referred to), date back to the late 19th century, so riding in one is very much like a trip back in time. This unique aspect of Valparaíso's transportation system makes it well worth a few trips up and down the hillside, so we decided to spend an afternoon crisscrossing the city to take it all in.
Starting from the the flat part of town (the historical center, near the port), we took our first ride on
Ascensor Concepción . A rickety old thing that slowly creaked up the side of the hill at a 30 degree angle, I think we all began to question what we had gotten ourselves into. Once at the top, we found ourselves transported to a totally different world. There was a light breeze and musicians could be heard playing in the background alongside vendors selling jewelry and other souvenirs. We also found a cute little place to stop for a cup of coffee at a cafeteria called
Cafe Turri, a well known meet-n-greet spot at the top of the acensor, complete with patio seating and sweeping city views. The cafe wasn't quite open for afternoon tea (
Las Once), so we walked around the neighborhood, peaked in a few of the art shops , and checked out the vibrantly colored houses of
Paseo Atkinson. At Cafe Turri, I enjoyed a delicious artesanal beer from a local brewery while the rest of the group opted for coffee. It felt nice to take a break and enjoy the views before continuing our walking tour downhill, through various stairways and plazas before calling it a day and heading back to the hotel for a much needed happy hour!
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| Riding up Ascensor Concepción (like I said, it was STEEP!) |
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| Enjoying an afternoon once at Cafe Turri |
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| Graffiti-lined Pasaje Bavestrello, one of the many covered stairs paths in Valpo |
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