Valparaiso @ MindSay 
Friday night marked the beginning of a new stage in my life: I have now seen (and enjoyed) a genuine opera. I have always loved musicals and theatre productions from both sides of the stage, however, when a few "more cultured" European friends suggested an evening at the opera, I was a bit skeptical. Initial feelings of hesitancy increased when my friends arrived late and we were unable to enter the theatre, encouraged instead to watch the first 53 minutes of Carmen on a large TV screen in the lobby.
Once inside, however, I was able to enjoy the true "opera experience." Santiago`s gorgeous Teatro Municipal is filled with antique chandeliers and traditional red velvet seating-(my favorite amenity, however, was the subtle screen situated above the stage, which displayed Spanish subtitles throughout the performance. Since I have never studied French-and opera is hard to understand regardless of the language-the subtitles were much appreciated.) I did, however, recognize several of the songs, many of which are played repeatedly on Saturday morning cartoon shows. Dinner in one of Santiago`s classier neighborhoods (brandy soup and almond ravioli) completed the evening.
Saturday morning a few friends and I tried something else new: the Chilean version of blueberry pancakes. "Panqueques" here are always crepes, and we had yet to find a restaurant serving traditional US breakfast food. As we perused the menu, delirious with the promise of fried eggs, hash browns, and french toast (all outrageously expensive,) I acknowledged my newfound appreciation for Denny`s. The restaurant, Cafè Melba, is located in the heart of Santiago`s wealthy East side, ("The dogs here are brushed and there are no loose power lines," my friend observed.) However, strolling past a nearby street filled with US restaurants, we decided that guests at the nearby upscale hotels would not obtain a very complete view of Santiago if they limited themselves to this neighborhood.
A few hours later I was on the bus to Valparaíso, savoring a chicken sandwich (another milestone, this is the first "non-ham-and-cheese-sandwich" I have been served by my host mother since arriving in Santiago nearly 4 months ago.) Since it was already dark when our bus arrived, we warily accepted the bus station offer of a nearby hostal and were pleasantly surprised. Featuring hot water and two bathrooms for $8/night (per person,) the hostal was also centrally located.
After dropping off our luggage we headed to a classic Chilean bar for drinks and the Bolivia/Chile fùtbol game. Screaming with the locals each time Chile scored a goal and scarfing down fries smothered in steak and eggs was a true cultural experience. Though the bar was supposed to feature live music on weekends, the unfortunate musician was booed off the stage when he interrupted the game with his accordion.
Sunday was spent exploring the coastal roads and hills of Valpo. Our first stop was Plaza Victoria, a smaller version of Santiago`s Plaza de Armas, featuring a small carnival, an enormous tree (which one of my friends was anxious to climb) and countless vendors and families enjoying the 60 degree weather. On the other side of the main street, lined with palm trees, was "Vitamin Service," a curiously christened ice cream shop noted by the guide books for its "scrumptious sandwiches." We, however, were more impressed by the 2-for-1 ice cream deal. Unaware of the deal, we ordered 4 flavors.
8 scoops of ice cream later, we took acensor (cable car) Espiritù Sanctu up one of Valpo`s many hills, hoping to emerge near our destination, Pablo Neruda`s "La Sebastiana." Neruda`s third house in Chile, "La Sebastiana" features his trademark nautical decor and collections of interesting souvenirs. Fortunately, the acensor took us only partially up the hill, and (though this required another exhausting half hour of ascent) it gave us the opportunity to walk past countless murals painted on the surrounding buildings. The views of the harbor from Neruda`s house were magnificent, and we decided to sit outside after our tour and watch the sun set over the water.
Though it was now growing dark, I was determined to show my friends one more Valpo landmark, "Brighton," the restaurant with the great view and fabulous milkshakes I remembered from my previous visit. "It`s on a hill, overlooking the water," I recalled; "It`s yellow." My friends proceeded to point out various yellow buildings dotting the surrounding hills, all of them with excellent views of the harbor. However, in the spirit of our family vacations, I was undeterred and led them in (what I remembered as) the general direction. We navigated the maze of back streets and sketchy alleys, reaching Brighton a few short hours later. (Though they seemed a little discouraged at times, morale improved when I offered to buy everyone dinner if we were going the wrong way.) As I remembered, the view and the milkshakes made the journey worthwhile.
