Historical/Background Info:
This is the principal port and second largest city of Chile. It is the second largest metropolitan area in the country with a total population of over 930,000 and is located just 70 miles northwest of Santiago, the capital of Chile. During the last half of the 1800’s Valparaiso served as a major stopover for ships traveling between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans (no Panama Canal then) by crossing the Straits of Magellan and Cape Horn. The opening of the Panama Canal (1914) was devastating to the economy of Valparaiso however it has staged an impressive comeback starting in 2000. Today it is a major distribution center for ship container traffic, copper, and fruits. During its summer months approximately 50 cruise ships call here due to its close proximity to Santiago and tourists come here to see the city’s unique cobbled alleys and colorful buildings. It has 4 large universities so has also become an educational center.
The first European discoverers of Chile arrived on a Spanish supply ship in 1536. Valparaiso remained just a small village (a few houses and a church) until Chile gained it’s independence from Spain in 1818. As I said in previous paragraph, it became an important stopover for ships rounding South America and gained significance in supporting and supplying the California Gold Rush (1848-1858). In 1906 a major earthquake struck here and did extensive damage and killed thousands. Because of its proximity to the “Peru-Chile Trench” (fault) the city is vulnerable to earthquakes.
Valparaiso’s mild climate closely resembles that of San Francisco. The summers are generally dry but experiences fogs from the Humboldt Current year-round. It is nicknamed “The Jewel of the Pacific” and in 2003 was named a World Heritage Site. This due to its being built upon dozens of hillsides overlooking the Pacific and having a grand architectural and cultural legacy, not to mention its cobblestone alleys. Because of the hill slopes, funicular railways make public transportation to those areas. There are 16 operating funiculars scaling the steep hills. Some are so inclined they are more like elevators.
What We Did Today:
Up early as we had tour at 8:45, "Valparaiso In Depth". It was a 4 hour tour. It returned to the ship at 1:00 pm and I had a 4 hour that began at 1:45 pm, "Panoramic Valparaiso & Vina de Mar". It is now 10:40 pm and internet connection sucks tonight. I will try to post this and put the photos on blog tomorrow which is a sea day.
We dined in Compass Rose tonight and enjoyed it . No show for us tonight. After 8 hours of touring I am tired. As I said, today's photos tomorrow.
Ok, I am adding the photo link to this posting. It is link to the photos I took in Valparaiso. You will have to copy and paste it to browser.
https://goo.gl/photos/vP2R5TVcxVpkZPLL7
Ok, I am adding the photo link to this posting. It is link to the photos I took in Valparaiso. You will have to copy and paste it to browser.
https://goo.gl/photos/vP2R5TVcxVpkZPLL7
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