A short drive takes you from Santiago to the coastal city of Valparaíso, where we explored the "cerros" (steep hills), a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2003. Ricarda, a German friend of ours, gave us a tour through the colourful narrow alleysways and pointed us to some amazing pieces of street art. Climbing the countless cerros is not as challenging as one might think thanks to Valpo's famous "ascensores" (cable cars). These ancient vehicles transport Valparaíso's residents conveniently up to their hilltop houses. Sadly most ascensores are in bad repair nowadays, but the one we tried still got us to the top safe and sound! We ended our sightseeing trip at a friend's house, soaking up the great panoramic vista from his roof terrace.
