Today we took a tour of Valparaiso and Vin del Mar. Our excellent tour guide and her driver picked us up in downtown Santiago at a beautiful old hotel, the Plaza del San Francisco. The 2 hour drive to Valparaiso passed beautiful citrus groves, olive groves and vineyards. The 2 cities are built on the hillside overlooking the harbor. Here are some photos -

This is one of Nobel Prize winning poet Pablo Neruda's homes. Pablo Neruda is not his real name; he changed his name so his father wouldn't be embarrassed that his son was a poet.

There are many murals in the city. This one is about 4 stories tall.

A view of the port and the navy ships docked there.

Valparaiso once had 30 funiculars. Now there are 6. Used mainly by tourists, the lines for the funiculars going up are usually longer than the lines to descend.

The goddess Themis in front of the Ministry of Justice isn't blindfolded as she is usually seen, and her scales are held in her hand instead of being used to weigh the truth. A French sculptor created this statue after having trouble with the police.

Vin del Mar is across the harbor. After an early 20th century earthquake that destroyed many houses in Valparaiso, many people moved to Vin del Mar. It is now a favorite summer vacation spot with beautiful parks and beaches.