Saturday, February 26, 2011

The next stage...

Valparaiso was our first destination after we arrived in Chile about 6 weeks ago. At that time we were enchanted with it: a UN World Heritage Site, with artistic surprises around each corner of its twisting, steep roads and alleys, its buildings clinging precariously to the steep hillside overlooking the busy Pacific port. It was like nothing we had seen before. But after 10 days or so we had tired of all the steep hill climbing, the lack of greenspace, the constant dodging of poop on the sidewalks from the city's huge population of scruffy stray dogs.

For 6 weeks we toured the North, the South, and everything in between. We saw beaches, lakes, islands and volcanoes. We met wonderful people everywhere, and we all agree that we would be happy living out the year in any of the places we've visited.

And yet, we find ourselves back here in strange, wonderful Valparaiso, and we've found a beautiful apartment where we plan to spend the rest of the year! In the end, we realized that this year is about experiencing something different, something we can't find in our everyday lives in Minnesota. And it doesn't get much different than Valpo. We still need to figure out a school, but we've heard about several great options and we're confident that we'll find something great.

On to the next stage of the adventure!
-Dan

5 comments:

  1. Hi Everyone,

    I'm so glad you found a spot. Valparaiso sounds fascinating.

    We had a lovely day with Jackie at Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge and collected some nice shells. Now we're in Naples and are lucky enough to have a computer available. Love, Grandma Mary

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  2. It's always good to hear from you and about your travels. What a spectacular apartment with those windows and that view. My first reaction was: don't put any furniture in there!

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  3. Wow, you decided! Way to go, Valpo. Is it furnished? I have really enjoyed the posts. Best to you guys.

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  4. I'm so excited for all of you! I've always wanted to visit Valparaiso. You'll need to read some of Neruda's poems and go visit the places he references :)

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  5. Congrats on finding a spot to live! Can't wait to hear about school. And how you find a run that avoids smog and dog poop!

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