Wait, There's an Armada in Chile?

January 7, 2011 (part III)

After having our fill of seafood at Mis Nietos, we took a stroll along the inlet to appreciate the crashing waves and spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean. This particular stretch of road was well-equipped with a nice sidewalk and periodic look-out points from which to gaze upon the harbor in the distance. A strong breeze off the ocean was perfectly complemented by the brightly shining afternoon sun to make for comfortable strolling weather. We walked slowly and took many photos as we fought off the urge for an after lunch siesta.

Caleta El Membrillo

I'm fairly certain my Mom would have continued this meandering walk along the coast for the rest of the afternoon. However, we had a long list of things to see and it was already approaching 4:00pm and it was time to get a move-on. We began walking back in the direction we had come, toward the city center. On the map, it looked like our next destination, Museo Naval y Maritimo, couldn't possibly be more than a mile or so down the coast. So instead of catching a bus, we walked. And then we kept walking - for nearly an hour. Needless to say, it was more than a mile. As we walked, the scenery quickly turned from views of crashing waves and sweeping vistas to a more industrial scene. As we neared the port, we saw several university buildings for marine studies, as well as a facility for the Chilean Navy (La Armada Chilena).

Finally, we arrived at the base of Ascensor Atilleria  - the elevator that would take us to our destination at the top of the steep hill. Like the other ascensores in Valparaiso, La Atilleria looked as if it had received few repairs since it was originally built in the late 1800s. Unique to La Atilleria is that it is much larger than the other ascensores of Valparaiso, with capacity for 10-15 people vs. the 4-6 person capacity of the other elevators we had ridden in. The views on the way up the ride up were especially rewarding; this was the first time we had been up on the hillside while the sun was out and the blue sky provided a nice contrast to the brightly colored buildings and lush gardens that were in full summer bloom.

Ascensor Atilleria 

Ascensor Atilleria 

Ascensor Atilleria 

At the top of the elevator, we found the usual lively scene that we had begun to expect at the top of an ascensor in Valparaiso: vendors selling souvenirs, musicians, a cafe with an excellent view, and of course other fellow tourist. There was also a nice gazebo and pleasant tree-covered Paseo 21 de Mayo that provided a nice setting for some panorama photos of the city (the promenade is named to commemorate  a naval battle that occurred on the 21st of May, 1879 in Iquique, Chile during the War of the Pacific). We spent a bit of time looking at the souvenir stands; Mom was on a bit of a gift-buying shopping rampage - fair warning to any of our relatives that receive kitsch little South American trinkets this holiday season ;).

After some effort, we were able to pull her away from the souvenir stands and up the flight of stairs leading to the Naval Museum. Housed in a grand old white building at the very peak of the hill and surrounded by a well-cared for lawn, it seemed a world away from the grit and grime of the harbor below. Along the pathway leading up to the museum, a friendly golden retriever was enjoying a lively game of fetch by hoisting his chew toy (an old plastic coke bottle filled with sand) over the 4 ft. tall fence so that it could be thrown by passersby . Great fun and seriously entertaining for all involved.

Up at the Museo Naval y Maritimo, we paid our entry fee and browsed the many different rooms that recounted Chilean naval history. I was surprised to learn that Chile had been involved with several major conflicts over the past 200 years since their independence from Spain. When considering the length of Chile's coast, it really shouldn't be that surprising that their navy is as prolific as it is - in the harbor earlier in the day, we had seen row after row of navy ships.  I suppose these are the things one becomes enlightened about through travel and museum visits such as these.

Museo Naval y Maritimo

After another ride on the ascensor, we were back in the flat area of the city. Unable to locate a taxi (a noticeable trend during our stay in the area), we hopped on a city bus that delivered us to the base of the street leading up to our hotel. This cut our journey in half but we still had a hefty uphill walk ahead of us. Thankfully we continued to be blessed with especially nice weather that day, which made the never-ending walking a little less arduous. The route up the hill took us on many of the stairways and narrow pathways that we had traversed the day before. En route, we picked up our two bottles of wine and water for the night and retired to the Hotel for a bit of R & R before dinner.

Happy to have a little down time after a long day of walking and sightseeing, I spent some time in our lovely room peering out the window overlooking the hills of Valpo with a pleasant breeze blowing through the curtains as the sun began to set and the city lights began to twinkle. With wine glass in hand, I enjoyed the beats of typical Chilean music playing from the stereo (a CD my Dad had bought from one of the musicians who had serenaded us at lunch today) while catching up on some journal writing.

Once the bottles of wine were empty around 9:30, we walked the few blocks down the hill to the cluster of restaurants we had eaten at the day before. Seeing as how we had once again managed to get a late start on dinner, our dining options were limited by the amount of seating still available (waiting on tables is uncommon in Chile; it is expected patrons will stay for the better part of the evening, so it is not likely for a table to become available halfway through the dinner hour.) After peaking in a few different restaurants, we decided our best bet would be Almacen Nacional - the same place we had eaten at for lunch the day before, but hard to disagree with given it's convenient location, convivial atmosphere and reasonable prices. We ordered a couple tablas (appetizer trays) that included meats, cheese, veggies and olives prepared in typical Chilean styles.  Good, but nothing to rave about. After a quick walk up the hill, we were headed to bed at the early hour of 11:15.

Almacen Nacional