Funicular in world heritage city, Valparaiso before the quake
We left Valparaiso, Chile, in late January, 2010, with great plans to return to this unique city built on dozens of hills on the Pacific coast of Chile. But the only way I might return in the near future is as a disaster relief volunteer, now that an 8.8 magnitude earthquake has destroyed so much along the coastal area that our NCL cruise ship traveled.
We had docked and disembarked in Valparaiso on January 17, 2010, a port city about an hour and a half by highway from Santiago and spent the morning clambering over the steep, narrow, cobblestone and gravel streets, marveling at some sixteen funiculars citywide. Funiculars are cable cars that move up and down the steep slopes of Valparaiso connecting the lower part of the city along the sea, with the cliffs high above. Reports show that some funiculars have been damaged. Buildings shook violently during the minute and a half initial quake, sending residents and tourists into the streets to sleep in the summer air as after-shock earthquakes measuring over 6.0 in magnitude, continue to plague the area.
Valparaíso was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003 due to its historic importance and its beauty. A UNESCO World Heritage Site is one that is deemed important enough either culturally or physcially, or both, to preserve and maintain, according to the Convention Concerning the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage adopted in 1972. Aside from the city's seaport history and physical beauty, many of the stone buildings harken back to the 19th century. And many probably do not meet the earthquake-resistent structural requirements set forth by the Chilean government after a huge earthquake in the mid-1980s. It seems apparent that the unique architecture of Valparaiso has been compromised by this most recent earthquake.
Vina del Mar, a seaside town that we, along with thousands of tourists have visited, enjoys the same hillside views from highrise hotels and buildings that tower over the Pacific Ocean. In both Valparaiso and neighboring Vina del Mar, the houses are built close together, with one above the other, skirting the hills along the shore. Even shopping areas are comprised of several stories of shops connected by winding stairways. When the earthquake struck on February 27, a tsunami was reported in Valparaiso, threatening this important seaport where many ships, including a variety of cruise ships, can often be seen.
The local American Red Cross chapters that dot the Mohawk Valley in upstate New York, as well as Red Cross chapters across the country, are on notice to be called upon for deployment to either Chile, or American territories along the U.S. west coast, Hawaii, and American Samoa. Only one or two cruise ships are scheduled to be in Valparaiso over the next week. Children were scheduled to return to Chilean schools on March 3, as the high summer season comes to an end and South American winter soon approaches. We hope to return to this beautiful area one day and urge travelers to keep Chile on their list of countries to visit.
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