Founded as a port c1900, the surrounding town rises quickly into the hills (cerros) behind, up which nine funiculars carry you in true Phileas Fogg style in beautifully-maintained wooden and brass Edwardian gondolas.
Every winding street, lane, alley and avenue on the walk back down (in the now familiar mix of architecture) is impressively covered with graffiti and murals - politics, psychedelic, pop art, you name it.
Locals will pay good money to have proper artists glam up their gable ends before the chavvy taggers get a chance, and the results are dazzling. Banksy this is not.
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| Up the Victoria funicular |
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| Christian |
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| Edward Hopper style. |
We did another walk, with Cristian this time. Not as full on as Felipe in Santiago, but just looking at the colours in, on and around everything and across the rooftops, was enough. A short bus ride to the manic coach station, then relax in air conditioned comfort back to Santiago.
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| Heisenberg |
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| Where The Stones' phoenix lives. |
And just when we thought our visual overload was complete, the bus driver spoilt us with a double DVD bill: the Italian leg of Madonna's True Blue tour and Jacko's 'History' (volume 2 disc 2). A perfect pop/art day out.
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