Day 6

Prior to Vina del Mar, we took a guided tour around Valparaiso, which became the major port town of Chile following the earthquake’s destruction in Conceptcion. Valparaiso has been strongly influenced by English, German, and Spanish immigrants, which was apparent in the architecture, even though much of the architecture was either dilapidated or had been damaged in earthquakes. One of the most interesting things about the city was the fact that each group of immigrants still has their own active fire station in the town. After our tour we headed to the Yacht Club for lunch before taking off to Vina del Mar.

Vina del Mar was absolutely beautiful. It was much more touristy than Santiago and Valparaiso so we fit right in! The boys spent most of their time at the casino, where TJ and Jake doubled their dinero, and the girls went to the outdoor vendors before meeting up for a drink at the beachside restaurant.

A few side thoughts about the day:
1) Do they have a pound in Chile? Stray dogs are about as common as squirrels in the States.
2) What is the deal with cold meat? We were served cold beef and salmon as our starter course at the Yacht Club, gross.

Okay, we’re off to Bella Vista for our last group dinner and night out!

written by  SantiagoFellows on May 15, 2010 from Valparaiso, Chile
from the travel blog: SantiagoFellows's Travel Blog
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