October 10 – 12, 2015 Our South America trip begins!! We flew to Santiago then took a bus to the coastal town of Valparaiso. Valparaiso is the second largest metropolitan area in Chile and a major seaport. It is located 69 miles northwest of Santiago and over the past 15 years the city has staged an impressive renaissance attracting many artists and cultural entrepreneurs who have set up shop in the city's hillside historic districts. Today many thousands of tourists visit Valparaíso from around the world to marvel at the city's unique labyrinth of cobbled alleys and colorful buildings. Our hillside hotel had beautiful views of the water and was in the heart of the historic district. The photo is one of the many stairways linking streets (see the kids sliding down the side!)