More Valpo sites

First of all I wanted to share the stairs of calf pain with you - everytime we come back to the apartment our legs have to deal with these. 

Next you have to see the number of stray dogs that live here... definitely not a place for the dogphobics of this world. 

Just up the road from where we are staying is Pablo Neruda's house - world famous Chilean poet who won the Nobel Prize for Literature (Jeff introduced me to Ode to the Onion which is really very brilliant) and communist politician who held many diplomatic posts. He eventually went into exile in Argentina when communism was outlawed by the conservatives in 1948.  

Sites from around Valparaiso

Valparaiso - or 'Valpo' as it is known to its residents - is spread over a number of hills or 'cerros'. Our apartment is on Cerro Bellavista and the buildings in the UNESCO World Heritage site are on the neighbouring Cerro Concepcion. To get up and down these incredibly steep hills you have two options - use the steps or one of the old wooden ascensors (see above). 

The buildings in the UNESCO site have been designated as important for preservation because of their unique timber frames with corrugated iron exteriors. Many are brightly coloured so if you squint it can seem as if you are wandering around Notting Hill. Graffiti art - some good (see above) and some horrendous is also prevalent throughout the city. 

First apartment in Valparaiso, Chile

After an exhausting 21 hours travelling from Chicago to Santiago (via Miami and Columbia) I met up with Jeff and we took a taxi to the apartment we've rented in Valparaiso (74 miles west of Santiago) ... We both walked in and our hearts sank a little - not the most inspiring of places either of us have ever lived in - but it has solid walls, a roof and is basic but clean. Above is our building and our apartment is on the left at ground floor level. 

Autumn colours in America

The Rally

I'm afraid I've had a few technical problems uploading photos and have ended up putting most of them on Facebook .... sorry to those of you who aren't on that murderer of proper social communication. That said above we have, from bottom to top, an interview with Obama's number one fan, Jeff and I at the rally as they announce Obama has won Ohio being the point of no return for McCain and finally McCain's concession speech being played alongside Rocky ... of course.

Finding Obama ....?

With the insider knowledge of Mr Hayner on my side I went a-hunting Obama ... first up the basketball courts where he 'shoots some hoops' before an election result ... but nope ... too late he'd already gone.

Then to the Hyatt Regency where the Man and his entourage was staying ... but all we could find were lots and lots of secret service men ... blurred I know but I think Jeff thought they may confiscate my camera so it was a snatched shot.

Where I'll be tomorrow night ... if we can wade through the anticipated masses ...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/nov/03/uselections2008-barack-obama-chicago

Back in Chi-town

Glad to report that I have arrived safely with all of my bags (which came to a total of 50kg including hand luggage - although I have had to erase the memory of getting down the steps between the Bakerloo and Piccadilly line interchange with all of those bags - too horrid for words), but completely exhausted, in the Windy City. I am a Virgin Atlantic convert - there is no other way to fly across the Atlantic even in Economy class - fair leg room, weather reports which amounted to 'it's sunny but a bit nippy outside' (what more do you need to know) but best of all GU desserts for pudding. Honestly I've flown with a lot of airlines this year and they rock - although Thai comes a very close second with their incredible Penang curry. 

Anyway, I digress, Jeff flies in later tonight after 6 weeks of learning Spanish in Mexico ... and we then head out to the mid west countryside for his good friends' J and Hannah's wedding ...