Valporaiso- a truly weird and even crazy city.  Kind of like Naples, Italy meets Haight-Asbury in San Francisco.  It is a jumble of streets and narrow alleys going every which way up the steep hills surrounding the pretty bay on the Pacific.  And street art, graffeti and bright colored houses are everywhere.

 Normally I do not care for graffeti, but if it works anywhere, it is in Valpo.  Finding your way through the maze that is Valporaiso is not easy, especially for one who can get lost with a choice of just 2 hiking trails.

The entire city has been designated a UNESCO site, which apparently means they cannot change the exterior of any existing structure, including some that have been gutted by fires-

According to my tour guide, the city fathers are apparently hoping for an earthquake to bring the building down so that they can allow rebuilding, notwithstanding the fine art work.   Glad to know even an earthquake has its proponents.

Valporaiso seems quite proud of its street art.  At one point during the day, I watched a street artist create a mural on a new hostel building with spray paint.  While I am no art critic for sure, I do not think Florence or the Uffizi have anything to worry about just yet.

Many of the buildings of Valporaiso are made of corrugated steel, a material evidently in great supply in the early 20th century when many of the Valpo buildings were constructed (an earthquake- desired or not by the then city fathers- destroyed most of Valpo at that time.  I guess that is the trouble with earthquakes- they cannot distinguish between condemned buildings and those that the owners would like to preserve).

Anyway, the corrugated steel buildings have to be maintained as is.  I like tradition as much as anyone, but---- corrugated steel buildings need to be preserved???   What is next, tar paper shacks or maybe moble homes in rural Maine are to be declared protected UNESCO sites?

Still, Valporaiso, like Naples, Italy, is a pretty bay-

Finally, I stayed in a hotel in Valporaiso called the Ecomusic hotel with a music theme in each room.  Naturally, given my well known affinity for and life long love of rock and roll and the history thereof, I was happy to pay extra for the Guns and Roses room at the hotel-