Walking around Viña

Today my goal was to start figuring things out-so I walked. A lot. I headed down to the Saturday food market, which is in the dry river bed of the Marga Marga (which can be described more as a creek, with very large banks).

I haven't figured out how to embed an actual google map image in my blog yet, but here is a link you can copy and paste so you can see the satellite view if you'd like. The market (or feria here) can be seen a little east of the Mercado. People come on Wednesdays and Saturdays to sell produce, cheese, meat, fish, spices and some household goods. But it is mostly food.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Vi%C3%B1a+del+Mar/@-33.0242408,-71.5437377,251m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!3m1!1s0x9689de84ead41255:0x8e5fde76df3d413f

Below a picture of one of the market entrances. I liked the baskets, and want to go look at them more closely again. Today I was just finding my way around.

At another entrance, right outside of a fish stall, a satisfied looking cat. No, I did not pet it, but I saw an old man stop and give it a pat. The cat liked it.

Other than starting to get oriented, I needed socks (couldn't find my cotton socks, just my wool socks which I'll need later, but are too hot now). I found the socks at a street vendor after I had the delicious lunch pictured below. I went with Humitas, a Chilean dish made from ground corn cooked in corn husks. While it looks a bit like a tamale on the outside, the corn is softer when unwrapped. It was mixed with some onion and bits of green, some sort of herbs/spices. I ate everything on the plate, except the husks. Yum!

In my continued quest to find my way around, after lunch and sock shopping, I got on the Metro. Much easier to figure out than the subway in Santiago, as there is only one line. I rode out to the port in Valparaíso, took the picture below, then got back on the train and came home. Tomorrow I'm thinking of taking a bus into Valpo and then wander around some.

For now, my back is sore from all that walking. Here's a view of my hostel from the bottom of the hill. This is what I face at the end of the day, when I'm tired! I walk up the street pictured, veer to the left, continue up the hill, then up some short cut steps, onto the street again, take a right and eventually get there. (The Little Castle is the building with the red roof and green trim).