Today, we headed to Valparaiso, but before we got to our destination, we took a quick detour after lunch, where we sailed in Valparaiso Bay. Once we got on the boat, we learned quickly about the maintenance of transporting goods over sea, where we got to see a ship being repainted, see a few marine ships, and learned how cherries are one of the biggest exports in Chile. We also got to see two sleepy seal lions, which were very adorable, but also very stinky. I enjoyed the ship’s swaying and rocking and the waves slowly tapping the side of the boat, which made me want to sleep. Being on the boat felt like home strangely enough. I remember times, both as a child and an adult, when I could get on a boat and learn more about Seattle’s sea life.
Being able to see the Pacific Ocean again, this time in the southern hemisphere, was calming and made me realize how much I had taken for granted back home.
After our trip to sea, we then made our way to Valparaiso, where we went through a funicular to reach our destination. Immediately, once we got to the top, a burst of color appeared through the various graffiti and mosaic art posted along the walls, with a mixture of street vendors and art stores holding a lot of unique souvenirs. From Valparaiso, you could get a great view of the city and Valparaiso Bay.
The nice thing about exploring Valparaiso on my own was that I could reflect on my friends and family back home. As the day slowly grew darker, we returned to the hotel for dinner and called it a day.
by Manan Vasdev