There?s also Casa Museo, the museum for Pablo Neruda, a great Chilean writer. This is definitely a cultural event and worth seeing. The Brighton Hotel is a great place to stay that also has a lounge with lots of excitement! There are all types of places to find action in Valparaiso.

Just try to get here before June which is the rainiest month for this area, and when it rains it truly pours!

So now comes the big question; is this a good place to potentially live in? The answer is yes it is. Rents are cheap here and that?s because there are no modern buildings here, remember Valparaiso is a historical city, so there?s no new building going on.

Do keep in mind though; it?s a bohemian lifestyle here in the real sense of the word.

The apartment buildings are old and Chile is a country that is only interested in what?s new and seemingly modern. Most do not wish to live in an older building, as I?ve said in my previous writings. Landlords find it difficult to rent older buildings out. This is why rents are so low here but this is not the case in all places. No, in some parts of the city the rent is high, because you?re living near the ocean. Overall, for the right person, this can be an ideal situation though.

There?s very little work in Valparaiso. Most work in Santiago and commute everyday. It?s just a little over an hour from Santiago to Valparaiso and Vi?a Del Mar and for many this is the only way to make a living. But due to the fact that cruise ships are making regular stops here and the casino is the big draw, I suspect a persona can make a great living teaching casino personnel English.

There are also smaller areas that are all along the coast, that make great hideaways, and places to live. If you have a car, I?d say take a drive down the coastal highway to Con Con (pronounced, Cone Cone). This is a great coastal town. Sleepy, rustic but with real spirit, several hundred apartment complexes line the ocean with the only thing separating them from the sand is the two lane highway.

Don?t be alarmed if you happen to see so many Greek styled apartments in this area. That?s normal. Remember what I said about Santiago being an eclectic and diverse city? The same is true for the coastal areas also. You?ll swear that you?re taking a drive in Greece when you see the stylings and the color schemes of the apartments and that?s one of the things that make Con Con so interesting. It almost seems to be a misplaced city.

Whether you?re going to this area or coming back from it you will pass Edelweiss. It?s a Swiss restaurant that has a breathtaking view of the ocean and nearby cliffs. Stop and soak up more Euro styled culture at this great restaurant and have a piece of cake and coffee. Check out the menu for other traditional Swiss and German dishes. The best time to go is around 4pm, any later than that and you risk running into the early evening crowd. Just look for the large Swiss flag and you?ll know you?re there.

Ah yes, you?re wondering now, what?s the average rent for a place in Con Con right? Well it averages around $375 give or take, depending again on how new or old the building is. Always expect to pay more if the building is newer and as I have said in my past writings, you don?t want a newer building.

Here in Chile, the newer apartment buildings do look all modern and such but they are oh so small space-wise. The older buildings have way more character and are alot more spacious in size. Again, go to my website and download a free copy of Global Living and check out the pictorial on Valparaiso and you?ll see what I?m talking about.

My only complaint, and the reason why in the end I chose to start building my cabin elsewhere, is that the airport is very far from the Valparaiso-Vi?a Del Mar area. From the airport, these areas are almost two hours away. So I thought to myself, if I arrive from traveling and have been on a plane for ten hours, I don?t want to spend an additional two hours in a car just to get home.

So I ruled out building near the beach and coastal areas but I love them so much that I spend just about every weekend in these areas. My friends like to go to gamble at the casino (they?re gambling addicts, but that?s another story in itself) but I like to explore and look around or find a good place to eat.

If you love photography, then these areas are a photographers dream! Even if you?re not a great photographer, take lots of pictures anyway! You?ll be glad later you did. There?s no way you can come to any of these towns and not leave with a good feeling. I personally, doubt one can come here and not entertain the idea of moving and living there.

Don?t think for a moment you can?t live and make it in any one of these cities or places, because chances are with a bit of resourcefulness you can. There?s nothing like staring out over the cities from a hilltop and enjoying the lights and the sound of the waves hitting the shores.

It?s then that you?ll realize, just as I did, there?s so much the world has to offer, and that there?s a place for everyone. You just have to find your place and make it your home. Who knows, maybe the beach areas of Chile will one day become your new home.

Jon Steele has been splitting his time living in Chile, Europe and the US for the last 3 years. He has several ebooks on living the "Global Lifestyle" and how to make and generate an income while living abroad. He can be contacted at steel-industries@email.com or drop by his website at http://www.travelogue.uk.tt