Valparaiso is a wonderful, if difficult, city to walk around. It is built, I am told, on and around a total of 42 hills - seven of which form the core of the city.

Seldom does a pedestrian get a level patch of ground to rest up sore calf muscles. You do, however, quickly locate the "Ascensors" - either actual elevators or more commonly angled rail cars pulled up a very steep incline by wire cables. These are definitely leg savers.

However, even when there is not an Ascensor handy, climbing up and down the narrow streets, alleys and really long, steep staircases is well worth the effort.

The city is a mecca of street art.

The story told to me was that all forms of graffiti were once illegal in Valpo and, therefore, impossible for the artistically oriented to resist creating. The street art scene evolved organically until, at some point in history, the city realized that the incredible art, with its intense colors and creative (and amazingly diverse) images, that had been taking form on virtually every flat section of building or retaining wall was a huge tourist draw. They now will help the property owner pay a portion of the cost to create new art.

I have spent the majority of the last few days wandering up and down steep hills and alleys enjoying images like and very much unlike this one. There are huge murals which take up entire sides of large buildings and ones barely a few feet in size. There are some clearly politically motivated and some, just as clearly, only whimsical. All are very creative. I happened to like the intense colors of this work.

Like all cities, there are those who, with spray can in hand, very un-artistically "tag" any available space. Valpo is no exception. However, the "taggers" do seem to respect the real art and generally do not damage it.

Tomorrow, I will bus back to Santiago, closing the loop on my Chilean travels. Wednesday, I get on the silver bird back to the US (once again passing and getting ahead of the sun as it moves north) where spring will be waiting for me.

I am looking forward to a couple of months at the cabin. There are projects to do and friends and family to reconnect with and enjoy.

Best to all.