(Part 5 of a summary from my trip to South America in late July 2015)

Once I realized I was not going to get stranded in La Paz, Bolivia, we continued on our journey and landed in Santiago, Chile hours later. From there we took a van to Valparaiso, Chile where we stayed for the following two nights at Newka Cerro Alegre, a hostel booked through Airbnb. Hugo, the owner, was very generous with information on where to eat and sites to see. With a multitude of rooms for those visiting Valparaiso, this is a great location to meet fellow travelers and centrally located to experience the local culture. Valparaiso is a truly eccentric city with a wide array of street art that is both impressive and quite detailed. During our two days in Valparaiso we dined at Fauna, a hotel with attached restaurant that provided views of the city and the Pacific Ocean. It was not uncommon to have an aspiring musician enter your restaurant and play for tips as you worked on your meal.