Buena Onda (Good Vibe)

The residents of Valparaiso, Chile are known as the “happy hippies on the hill.”  They say “La onda es muy buena” which means “The vibe here is very good”. There’s amazing street art, locals who want to chat about politics (in every conversation and at great length), artists working in their studios, and excellent coffee.

But, Valparaiso is also a port city of 1.5 million people so as a point of re-entry after Patagonia, it felt like that sound a needle makes when it gets yanked across the surface of a record…or like chewing on tin foil...just ughgh. At least there was good shopping, a few more great meals, and excellent Chilean wines. 

Just a little different than Patagonia. :)

We found one of the many streets in Chile named after Michael’s great grandfather! That legacy and 4,500 pesos got him a coffee at the cafe down the block.

We fly back tonight to the US. A big thank you to Meghan for watching our cats and to our sister-in-law, Pat, for stopping by to feed them forbidden chicken and giving them some extra love.  Thanks to Patrick from Audley who helped us plan this incredible adventure — if you are thinking about planning a trip to this part of the world, here’s his contact info:  

 Patrick Helfer
Chile & Argentina Specialist
Audley Travel

Email: patrick.helfer@audleytravel.com
Direct: 617-223-4924

 He and the Audley team did a fantastic job.

Thanks to Michael’s clients for giving him some much needed time away. And, thanks to Annie’s BPNYC family for all of the work coverage.  She is very grateful to be part of an awesome team that knew how important this vacation was and held down the fort while she was out.

 And, thanks to all of you for following our trip!  

Thanks for visiting us!