Valparaiso

Valpo didn't quite live up to the guidebook description as the most enchanting city in Chile, but there was some great street art, some beautiful houses, an astonishingly obvious cloud of smog as we drove in which eventually disipated somewhat, friendly locals telling us not to walk ANYWHERE as we'd get mugged (a combination of the Chilean tendency to worry about people too much, the still widespread view that women shouldn't travel without a male escort and the fact that, yes, if you wallk through the wrong part of town you may well be targetted by pickpockets, but we had been forewarned so no problemos there) and the fanastic ascensores (lifts up the hillside), which I of course got more excited about than was perhaps necessary.

Young Sammy will no doubt be pleased to hear that I also rocked The Sequel t-shirt all day ;-)