Jon can walk again: Valparaiso

I have spent 4 days in in Valpo, but Ive been a little sick,  so I spent a couple days mostly reading and cooking in my hostel, but I am walking aroung again, and I went and saw Valpo in the last two days.

Everyone keeps asking me about the food.  Chile is all about fast food, but not the normal American chain restaurants.  They have what are called fuentes de soda.  Often there will just be a bar, and you order your food and eat it standing up.  People next to you usually talk to you.  The most common food by far at these places is the Completos, which is just a hot dog smothered with a layer of tomatoes, and then lots of guacomole, and then a thick layer of mayonaise. Here is a picture:

Valparaiso is two hours west of Santiago, on the coast.  It was once one of the largest ports in South America, until a collosal earthquake hit it in 1906 and completely destroyed it.  It never really recovered, but it is now a very charming city.    The whole city is set on a large steep hill.    They have ancensors, which are like elevators, that take you up the hills.   Here is a picture I took while going up one:

 The coolest thing about the city is definitely the houses though.  They are all very brightly colored.

And here is me in the city!

Tomorrow, I am taking a 20 hour bus ride north to San Pedro, which is near the Atacama, the driest desert on earth.   Resources are much more scarce up there, so I am going to have to start camping and using my keen survival skills.