So today we left Vina Del Mar and took a CRAZY bus ride to Valparasio! Valparasio is gorgeous and the bus ride was worth it… but I have to tell you about the bus ride!!
So Matt and I have our back packs, and for this part of our trip we also have our snow board bag with all our snow gear in it which is quite heavy. So everywhere we go it’s a little fun trying to work out how we’ll cope with the board bag as well! The hostals are great and everyone gives you excellent advice on how to get where you’re going, so our Hostal Offenbacher-Hoff (love the HOFF part! haha) in Vina Del Mar gave us great advice to catch the 612 or 0 bus to Valparasio Only 490 pesos which is about a dollar. And this time of the day there’ll be no one on the bus, just ask to go to the back (something along the lines of “Aberito a tras porta, por favour” and all will be good.
Well the bus was PACKED! So we jumped on, I went through the front to pay and Matt up the back with the board bag. The bus driver takes off before you’re even fully in the bus and I paid and bumped around on my way to the back with the bag. Then it was a matter of trying not to smash everyone when we turned around (think back pack swinging out wide as you turn, Mr Bean style) and trying to keep out of the way (IMPOSSIBLE). The bus ride was apparently 20 mins, there’s NO stop signs, so you have no idea what the stops are if you don’t know the area so you have to ask (apparently everyone is friendly, which they are! :))
The start of the ride was really cruisey, typical streets, nice view of the coast and oceania. Then we asked a passenger where our stop was in Spanish, they replied, and as usual, we had no idea what they said!! So we stayed, figuring they hadn’t pointed to get off the bus yet! One guy said “Viente Minutos” so about 20 mins to go… Then the fun started…
We started up the hill and around many many many many corners… I don’t think the bus had brakes… at least he never used them… Acutally, he did, when he needed to stop to let someone off… SUDDENLY. We (I!) spent a lot of time laughing as every corner I would look up (I was sitting, Matt was standing by the door) and the look on Matt’s face as the bus swung around the corner was HILARIOUS! The best way to express it (I just confirmed it too) is that he thought he was about to fall out of the bus backwards (insert facial expression here)… Luckily the door he was standing in was closed!! We were tossed side to side on every corner as we tried to keep our luggage with us… everyone else was sitting nicely in the bus.
Then we had the added pressure of needing to ASK where our stop was.. and of course, never understanding the answer!!! ARGH! So I asked a lady and she said a few things… not sure what, but it seemed to indicate “Don’t get off yet… stay around”…. Then we heard “PROXIMA!”… We a
ssume that means “close now”!! So we wait… Then a WHARF WHISTLE (Wolf whistle for those who don’t know me) comes from the front of the bus!! It’s the bus driver!! Turns out he had seen all the commotion and heard where we were going (we were up the back of the bus and never told him) and he was motioning to us that this is “San Luis” (I had called it Santa Louise, Saint Louis etc etc when asking) so “GET OFF NOW!” so we tugged and pulled at our bags and scrambled off the bus, I yelled out “MUCHAS GRACIAS” as I exited last and everyone on the bus laughed as they drove away (the exit and pickups were super fast!!!). DONE.
Turns out it had all gone REALLY WELL! We were right by the street for our hostal (which we realised after a couple more Spanish questions to the locals), so we carried our stuff down the AWESOME streets of VALPARASIO and into our hostal for the night.
VALPARASIO SO FAR:
Gorgeous!!! You thought Melbourne had cool street graffiti! Wait till you see this place! All the buildings are either painted a bright cool colour or have some kind of interesting artwork on them (think Neighbors cafe on every building). It’s really hilly and old so the streets have SO much character from the hills the graffiti, the colours, the style of the buildings, it’s a feast for the eyes! Our photos won’t do it justice but here are a few.
Bye for now! I hope you like my funny stories (that’s for you TAM & Derrick!!)
xx
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