I forgot to tell you much about the place I actually live.
Valparaíso and Viña del Mar are beautiful cities located right on the coast of the long skinny country. While, they are close in proximity to one another, Valparaíso and Viña del Mar are practically two different worlds. Viña del Mar, where I live, is known to be the more touristy city complete with umbrella beaches, gardens and I think I-accidentally-stepped-into-America-malls. Valparaíso, or Valpo on the other hand is a city bursting with culture and life. A few decades ago it was declared a world heritage site because of it's urban scape and unique architecture. A lot of afternoons or evenings after finishing classes I go exploring the Valpo cerros with friends. It's best just to let yourself get lost because you are bound to stumble on something new. Honestly I have never seen a place like Valparaíso. It's a city completely sprawled throughout the coastal hills. Unlike in the US wealthiest class lives at the base of the hills. The higher you go up, then, the poorer the neighborhoods become. Brightly painted houses are connected to one another, stacked on top of one another. Roads have no logical order. Some houses can only be accessed by the porches of their neighbors. Random staircases are everywhere. And colors. So many colors.
Easily the most impressive part of Valpo is the graffiti. Everyone knows that. It's EVERYWHERE. Half city. Half Graffiti. Family homes. Walls. Fire hydrants. Cracks in the sidewalks. Graffiti in Chile isn't seen as trashy or a symbol of rebellion. It is made to be beautiful. It is made to tell stories. It is made to send a political message. It is made to preserve a culture.
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{broommate Rayén}
