Valparaíso

Just a few days until Scott had to head to New York to finalize his UK visa, we decided to take a quick day trip over to Valparaíso, the coastal city about an hour north of Santiago.   We'd been talking about doing it the whole two months that he was in Chile but, as you can see from previous posts, we got sidetracked with other adventures.  He knew that I really loved the city--ever since I studied abroad there in 2007, I've been trying to get back!  So, he's heard a story or two about it.  Unfortunately, it looked like we were running out of time and wouldn't make it together this time.  The night before, we realized we didn't have anything else to do and tentatively planned to take the trip up north.  However, when we woke up, I wasn't feeling up to it, and really just wanted to stay in.  Scott is normally happy to stay home and hang out, so I was surprised when he started trying to convince me to go.  I put up a good fight, but finally I gave in and agreed to go, even though I was still a bit confused as to why he wanted to so badly!

We headed over to Pajaritos bus station to get our tickets.  The last time we'd taken a bus to visit my former host family in Vina del Mar, we'd tried to leave from the Central Station--that turned out to be a disaster and we weren't ready to try it again any time soon!  Luckily, it was much less chaotic and easier to navigate at the smaller station--we bought the tickets and boarded the bus within five minutes. On the way, a movie was played on the drop-down screens on the bus.  The movie on this trip was called "In Time," about life in the future when time has replaced money as currency.  It was really interesting!  Just as I was getting really into the story, the bus pulled into the terminal at the Valparaíso station.  So I don't know how it ends, but I'm going to get around to watching it one of these days.  When I have some extra time...

We got off the bus and headed straight to the bathrooms--just some advice: don't drink a lot of coffee before getting on bumpy, hour-long bus ride through the mountains.  Once we were feeling a bit more relaxed, we headed to the tourist booth to get some more information and, most importantly, a map.  Of course, the woman tried to sell us a 4-hour tour of the city and surrounding areas.  It looked like a decent deal, but it was such a nice day that we decided to go it alone and see what we could explore ourselves.  The bus station is on the northern end of the city, so we figured we'd walk to the southern end and work our way back from there.  It was a bit of a distance, but we weren't in a hurry and the weather was much warmer than we expected, so we set off.

We followed the coastline the whole way, enjoying the sea breeze and the view of the boats in the harbor.  We even got to see quite of few official naval ships.  I have to admit, I can't really tell one ship from another, but Scott was pretty excited about that.  About halfway along our walk, we stopped at Muelle Prat, the dock from where boat day tours leave.  We dodged some more salesmen, but spent a while enjoying the view and admiring some of the smaller watercraft docked there.  There were also some souvenir stands, so of course we had to check out our options there before moving on.  There were some interesting things, but we decided it was a bit early in the day to be loading up on souvenirs just yet.

www.wikipedia.com

We continued following the coast until we arrived at Ascensor Artilleria.  This is one of the 16 funiculars that still exist in the city, dating all the way back to the late nineteenth century.  The funiculars were built to help citizens move up and down the city's various steep hills.  This particular one is one of the oldest--the third ever built in the city, it was constructed in 1892.  It it considered one of the best places to go for a beautiful panoramic view of the city.  And the skies were perfectly clear, allowing some truly great views!  I was also surprised to see that the carriages had been painted since I was last there; now, there is modern artwork covering the outside.  I much prefer that to the solid colors they were before.  I didn't get any pictures this time, so you'll have to do with an old one from the internet.  Just imagine it much more colorful.

After a bit of a wait in line, we finally got into the funicular and rode up to the top.  Not only was it fun to watch the city and the ocean drop below us, it was also interesting to listen to the various languages being spoken inside the carriage!  There were a few Brits, some Australians, a couple Germans, and I believe maybe some French?  Everyone was in their own little world, so it was fun to watch their expressions (physical and verbal) as we ascended the hill.  We got another entertaining moment as we exited the carriage, only to be greeted by a very tiny, very excited dog.  Apparently, he lives at the top of the hill and oftentimes believes this gives him the right to ride the funicular for free.  We had to wait a bit as the attendant chased him off (a common duty for her job, she said), but we did eventually make it through the gates and out to the vista at the top.

The view was spectacular!  I didn't have my camera, but Scott got a couple nice shots of the view (and me, of course).  We spent a while just walking around the platform, taking in everything.  We could see the whole city, and it seemed like the whole ocean, too!  We watched as some barges were unloaded and the crates packed onto trains and hauled off towards their final destinations.  We watched as other people enjoyed the nice day, riding their bikes or flying kites below. We even met a friendly cat sunning on top of a car.  Although I really hadn't wanted to come, my mood was starting to lift and by 2:00, I really was beginning to enjoy myself.  And I was starting to get hungry.

Scott shared my feelings, so we started to look for a good place to eat.  We didn't have to look far, because just up the hill was an old house (think old San Francisco style) with a sign out front advertising a daily lunch menu.  It turned out to be a coffeehouse/ice cream parlor/restaurant, and the building was pretty awesome, so we went in to check it out.  It was small and relaxing, and there were even a bunch of books to read while you enjoyed your coffee!  It looked like a place that had a lot of regulars, but would also be friendly to tourists.  The waiter was very friendly and attentive (something that is not always easy to find in Chile), and even helped us with some suggestions as to what to choose.  I chose the menu of the day, which included a pisco sour, a seafood empanada, and baked fish with rice.  Scott got some loose-leaf tea with grilled chicken and creole mashed potatoes.  The food was served efficiently and it was delicious!  My empanada could have been a meal in itself!  Luckily, we hadn't had much of a breakfast, so I managed to eat most of the fish, too.  I slowed down a bit by the time I got to the rice, but Scott helped me out with that.  I also managed to get a quick taste of his before it disappeared, as well.

After lunch, we decided that we might as well check out the Naval Museum since it was just across the street.  I love history, so it was fun to learn the history of Chile's navy.  I'm not really into naval stuff, but it was really fun going there with Scott!  He was so excited about all the model ships they had (they even had a special temporary exhibit going on, displaying the work of the local model ship club).  He stopped at every one to explain to me how they were built and what they were used for, and often he even gave me historical examples of battles they were used in.  It was really helpful, especially because the museum didn't provide much of that kind of information (it mostly gave the name of the ship, and maybe of some of the people who were on it).  The Naval Museum was also probably the only place that Scott actually asked me to take his picture--next to a huge model of... some kind of ship.  It was large and impressive, but that's all I can tell you about it.  And I don't even have the picture, so you'll have to talk to him if you want more information.  But be careful--he might give you a lot more than you asked for!  I loved it!  Seeing him so excited just made me more excited.  If you know him, Scott is usually pretty subdued, but he was like a kid in a candy shop at this museum!  He actually had been a bit less restrained than usual all day, but I still didn't really know why.

There was also an exhibit about piracy around the world.  It had some fun interactive features, like stockades.  Of course we had to lock each other up for a bit.  And play on the model pirate ship.  We only had to leave when a tour group full of firemen came in to "view" (play with!) the exhibit.  Probably the best part of the museum, though, was the exhibit in the courtyard of the Fenix.  The Fenix is the capsule that was used to rescue the trapped Chilean miners in 2010.  And the object on display wasn't a replica, either--it was the actual capsule that held the miners during the rescue operation.  I was a bit confused as to why it would be displayed in a naval museum, but apparently some of the doctors that attended at the scene were naval doctors.  It was amazing to see, and to imagine what it must have been like for the miners.  The space for a person was so small that I had a hard time getting myself into it!  It definitely was not comfortable, especially considering that each journey out of the mine took about 20 minutes.  But after two months trapped, I'm sure that was the least of the miners' worries.  It was very interesting to be able to experience something that I had heard so much about on the news.  But I'm very glad that it was just a taste--I don't think I need any prolonged experience like that!

We spent a few hours in the museum, a bit longer than we had expected.  By the time we came out, it was about time for the sun to start to set.  We still had a bit of sunlight yet, so Scott suggested trying to explore some of the other hills by foot.  This is much easier said than done, as Valparaíso's street plan is not the most intuitive.  We tried to walk to the next hill over from the one we were on, but kept running into dead ends.  Scott was, again, being much more persistent than normal in his attempts to persuade me to keep going.  He was very intent on getting to the top of a hill for sunset.  I was a bit confused, because it is not in Scott's nature to have such a strict mission, especially when he is on vacation.  I convinced him that the path we were on wasn't working out, but did agree to try to get to the top of another hill.  We walked down by the water again for a while until Scott saw another hill that he thought was worthy of our ascent.

www.phlogy.com

The new goal was to climb to the top of Cerro Toro.  There was a funicular, but it had conveniently broken down.  So, we got to walk up about six flights of stairs to get to the top.  I was in no hurry, so I took my time getting up the stairs.  Scott ran up in about 30 seconds.  I asked him again why he was so determined to get to where ever it was we seemed to be going, and he said that he just needed to have a destination.  This is a very out-of-character statement for Scott, but I humored him and followed along.  From the street below, he had seen a beautiful white balcony at the top of the hill, and had decided that that was to be our destination.  Of course, finding that balcony once we had reached the top of the hill was another challenge.  After a bit of wandering, we discovered that the balcony belonged to the Lord Cochrane Museum.  The museum was no longer accepting visitors, but we were allowed to go into the courtyard behind the building.  It was here that we found the balcony Scott had seen from below.

The whole hill was pretty empty, but in the courtyard was a man playing with his dog and young son.  We all smiled at one another and said the expected polite "hello," but then they went back to playing and we went to the corner of the balcony to enjoy the view.  I think the view from there was even better than from Cerro Artilleria.  The colors of the buildings were so vibrant, and they transitioned perfectly into sand on the beach and out into the ocean.  The sun was setting, adding another layer of color to the already stunning scene.  It was quiet and peaceful, so I spent a long time just staring out into the endless rainbow of the city.  It was very relaxing.  Eventually, the man and his son left, and I could tell that the museum grounds were about to close.

I told Scott that we should probably leave, but he insisted on staying just a little longer.  I was starting to get uncomfortable, because I could tell that it was time to lock the gates, but I agreed to stay for one more minute.  Scott pulled me over beneath a tree, right where the best view was.  He thanked me for coming with him, and for letting him stay with me in Santiago.  I was about to say "you're welcome," and pull him to leave, but he continued.  He told me that he felt very lucky to be with me, and that the past couple years together have been the best in his life.  Then, he got down on his knees and asked me to I would spend many more years with him as his wife.

I was so shocked! I had not expected that at all!  We had talked about getting married, but had figured that since we haven't exactly managed to stay in the same place for very long yet, that it wouldn't happen for a few more years.  I am pretty sure that my face was bright red, but I was so happy!  I pulled him up and said yes, of course!  He sighed as if he hadn't taken a breath the entire time, pulled me towards him and kissed me.  I was still in a bit of shock as the guard came out and told us that we had to leave, now.  Apparently he had seen what was going on, and waited until we were finished to kick us out.  Very nice of him!

We were both so excited that we got lost a few times before managing to find the way back down the hill again.  After a few minutes, when he'd managed to catch his breath again, Scott stopped me and asked, "you said 'yes,' right?"  I laughed; he'd been so nervous that he didn't even grasp what I'd said!  I assured him that I had, and we continued our walk.  I couldn't stop grinning.  I'm pretty sure that people thought we were crazy, and it's probably a bit true.

The best part of this was that it was almost completely spontaneous.  So much, in fact, that he didn't have a ring yet.  He said that he hadn't really planned it at all, but knew how much I loved Valparaíso and at least wanted to come see it with me before he left, which is why he was so insistent on coming.  He wasn't even really thinking of proposing yet; just of spending a nice day with me in a city I like.  When we got there and he saw how beautiful the city was and how much I liked it and how much we were enjoying being together, he decided that it would be the perfect time.  He just needed the perfect place, which explains his mission to get to the top of a hill before sunset.  I am so glad he convinced me to go--it turned out to be one of the most memorable days of my life (so far)!

Another advantage of the spontaneity was that I got to pick out my own ring.  Scott said he'd actually been to the market a few times to try to find one, but never saw one that stuck out to him.  Then, there was the small problem of trying to explain what he was looking for to the vendors, so he never managed to get very far with that.  He was going to wait until he could get to England and do it "properly," but I guess he just couldn't wait!  When we got to the bottom of the hill, we stumbled upon an artisan market where we decided to stop in for a quick look.  We weren't even really intending to buy a ring (I'd been looking at rings since I arrived and hadn't found much I liked, either), but just as we were about leave we came upon a jewelry booth with just what we'd been looking for.  It was a small silver ring with a circular lapis lazuli.  I tried it on, and it fit perfectly.  Of course we knew that this would be "the" ring.  It's not traditional, but I think it's perfect!

We shopped a little bit more, and I bought Scott a birthday present (a mug with "awesome face" to use at school), and then we headed back to the station to catch a bus back to Santiago.  There was another movie playing on the way back, but I couldn't tell you what it was.  I was way too excited, thinking about our next adventures together!