Saturday morning 28 April 2018, Valpo

Well, it's my last day in Valpo but I hope to come back again in June on my way back to Santiago as it's such a vibrant and interesting city. Despite its reputation for crime I always felt safe here, even at night in the city walking alone on some of the less lit interconnecting streets between main thoroughfares. I almost didn't go out last night but in the end after a short siesta arose around 8pm feeling more energised and decided to catch a bus into the port area for a meal. So glad I did! I just posted one of the video clips on FB and I'll post another one one this blog - such a vibrant and colourful country - this is why I travel!! Before I left NZ everyone looked at me as though I was mad when I said I was traveling to Chile - like, why Chile?? But as you read my blogs I think you'll agree it is a number one destination for travelers tired of the same old, same old of Western destinations (which also have their charms, but lack a lot of the cultural diversity of more out of the way and less explored countries). Sure, there's poverty and wealth here, side by side, and maybe Allende's dream of  a more equitable society was the right one for this wealthy country, but you can't change history and I imagine that America (the USA) had a hand in financing Pinochet's bloody reign of terror after Allende nationalised so many overseas owned companies (mineral extraction companies, in particular). With Chile's huge mineral wealth (copper, silver, nitrates, etc) it should be one of the wealthiest countries on Earth with the wealth shared amongst the people who live here at least by offering social housing, free medical care for all and free education for all. Anyway, enough about politics. Today I head North a bit further (200kms?) to Los Vilos, supposedly named after "Lord Willow" a British pirate who was shipwrecked there and must have liked the spot because he stayed on. I like coastal towns but a lot of the more interesting places such as the astronomical observatories are well inland, so I'll no doubt be making some trips to those places - I have at least one earmarked for a visit. I'll keep you posted on that.
My bus (coach?) leaves here at 3:20pm (I hope!) so I expect to be in Los Vilos around 6pm. Catch up with a new post then. Adios.