Reinaldo's Blog

The Obelisco in Buenos Aires, Argentina

I was lucky enough to visit Buenos Aires in 2005 and there are many great memories to look back on. Here is my experience.

Great things about the city

The city of Buenos Aires is old, elegant, big and entertaining. The biggest feature for me was that the city literally doesn’t sleep! I still talk about how I was able to eat a steak in a restaurant at 2:30am and how I bought a soccer shirt from a shop at 1:30 in the morning!

The people in Buenos Aires are very friendly to tourists and also helpful. They treat foreigners with a lot of respect and you always feel welcome. This came as a surprise to me as I was warned to receive a hostile reception for being Chilean. This myth was debunked early on in my trip! (more…)

Port of Valparaiso - Photo by Ferrando (Flickr)

Valparaiso is one of few ports that Chile has. It was the first port of the country and was discovered rather than founded. It has had its moments of success and of despair.

At one time, it was the envy of all other cities in Chile and was known as the gateway to Europe from the Americas. Over time it had gained a new nick name “La Joya del Pacifico” (the jewel of the pacific ocean).

Valparaiso has once again begun to shine as it attracts tourists from Northern America and Europe. Thanks to its UNESCO Heritage status and the cruise ships that visit in summer, Valparaiso is slowly becoming the charming port that every Chilean is so fond of.

Valparaiso’s history starts somewhere around 1536, since then, many events have shaped the city. I plan to begin a series of posts dedicated to the history and present state of Valparaiso, Chile’s first ever port and my place of birth. So stay tuned with the series.

Auckland by night

The winter streets of Auckland, by night.

As I would only be in Auckland for one night, I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to visit the city centre for myself. I wasn’t sure what to expect so I was overly cautious and a bit on the defensive side. (more…)