Vina del Mar

Since we had seen Valparaiso the day before, we decided to head over to Vina del Mar to see what there was to do over there. To me, it looked like Valparaiso and Vina del Mar could still be the same city as there was no geographical divide, but apparently there is a very evident economic difference and Vina del Mar is much more wealthy and upscale. We climbed down the hill from our hostel and grabbed on of the local buses that would take us to the big bus stop. We needed to purchase tickets for our journey to Argentina the following morning before heading to Vina del Mar and apparently you can only do that at the bus stop, not online. It is always interesting trying to take the local buses since there are never designated stops, so you need to flag down the correct bus and then pray that they will accept money and that you don't need some pre-paid bus card. Luckily, this bus accepted dollars and we took the 30 minute ride to the bus stop.

After purchasing our bus ticket, we went out in search of the metro. As we walked, we passed the local flea market which we had been told was a must see in Valparaiso. Sadly, it was really just a big yard sale with a ton of junk that no one would want..goes to show how little there is to do if that's a must see.

We made it to the metro, were able to buy a ticket and figure out which stop to get off at. It seems basic, but every system is different and complicated and I am always proud when we can use the local transportation.

Once we arrived, we walked around a bit to get the lay of the land. The city is built right on the ocean so you have some beautiful water ways and a very nice beach.

 

One of the major attractions in Vina del Mar is their casino, "Enjoy". We don't usually gamble, but we decided to spend a few pesos and try our hand at the slot machines. We won a few times but didn't leave with any money. And sadly there are no free drinks at this casino.

 

There wasn't a ton to do in Vina del Mar either so we headed back to Valparaiso mid-afternoon. The one thing we hadn't tried yet in Chile was "Chorillana" which is essentially french fries with meat, egg and fried onion. This is not something we would ever normally order but hey, when in Chile! We enjoyed this healthy dish with one of the largest beers I have ever drank. The food was fine but I think once is definitely enough for that dish.

As per usual, we ended our night with a journey to the local market in search of chocolate. They have some weird candy in these countries but I thought the names of these two chocolate bars made by Nestle were particularly strange...you be the judge, lol.

 

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