In the past three years, I’ve spent less than 24 hours in Valparaiso, so I don’t really know what you should eat or see or do, I just know that this place has a strange effect on me. I’m not one for cities, but I make exceptions for cities that are built on hills, specifically ones that make me consider quitting mountain biking and starting up a career in parkour.I’m especially intrigued if there are secret alleyways and narrow stairways that lead you around in infinite loops. Valparaiso ups the ante with fantastic empanadas, street-art and slides. Yes, slides. (Finally a city Macky can appreciate.)

This visit was extra special because we had my friend Max, who lives in Valparaiso, as a tour guide. Max is that friend who, no matter where I go in the world, I end up running into. We went to college about five hours apart in the Northeast but, of course, never met then. Far too convenient. Instead we ended up living in the same apartment in Cordoba, Argentina, and then running into each other again in San Francisco. (Another city on a hill, by the way.) And now, Valpo. And even though we only had a few hours to hang out this time, it was totally fine because obviously we are going to run into each other again, probably in Australia or Kenya or somewhere else that neither of us has plans to go to at the moment. (And inevitably, we will develop these plans separately and only find out after the fact that we are both going to be in the same place AGAIN. That’s just how it works.)

After stopping by Max’s house for a mate (once argentinean friends, always argentinean friends), we spent a few hours wandering the Cerro Alegre district of Valparaiso, ogling the murals and the brightly colored houses that seemed perched just a little too precariously on the edge of the cliff. Did I mention there are earthquakes here?!?!

Another essential Valparaiso experience: taking the funky “ascensor” elevator thingies. They look about a million years old and like they couldn’t possibly be safe…but hey, the view is fantastic. Oh and speaking of fantastic, meat on sticks. Nomnomnom.

And yes, I realize this is a contender for most random blog post ever, but it was a pretty random day, which is just how I like my touristy days to be. I could really care less if I saw the “best” of Valparaiso, or if I ate at the right or wrong places. If you’ve been reading this blog for awhile, you’ve probably realized that I don’t write a lot of those “things you have to do in [insert place here]” sort of posts. That’s because, on my ideal travel day, I don’t have to do anything. Schedules and itineraries are for real life. And so, if you go to Valparaiso, for five hours or twenty-four or a week or three months, well, do whatever you want. (But, goddamnit I’m serious, you should really eat some meat on a stick.)

Do you like having a schedule when you travel? Do you have a friend you run into in the most random places? Share your stories below!