First impressions of Valpo

First impressions of Valparaíso:

• There are a serious number of stray dogs here! On one street corner last night, we counted *nine* dogs in various stages of repose. The dogs seem well-fed and friendly, but not so clean.
  
• The city is beautiful, more vertical than horizontal, and also gives one the disconcerting sense that it´s crumbling down around one´s ears. The graffiti is everywhere, but it seems more like art than vandalism.
• NOTHING IS OPEN when the presidential elections are going on. The Chileans take democracy seriously... they have to vote or they are fined. Oh, and they can only vote in the city where they registered the first time as young adults, even if it takes all day to get there.

And now, for some pictures.

The view of the sea from the hills near our hostel in Cerro Bellavista.

Up, up, up...