Been There – Valparaiso

Starbucks Been There – Valparaiso is the third BT mug from Chile released so far. Valparaiso is a major city and seaport located on the hills of the Pacific Ocean shore. People used to call it “Little San Francisco”, back in the days when it served as a major stopover for ships traveling between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Starbucks designers used the green and blue palette for the mug and by reviewing the points of interest and symbols, it looks like they picked those from both Valparaiso and Viña del Mar (“Vineyard of the Sea”). These two, together, are part of Greater Valparaíso Area. Both cities are worth visiting, here are some reasons:
– The front of the mug shows the variety of seafood available here: fish, oysters, and shrimp.
– The Valparaíso trolleybus system has become one of the icons of the city. Almost half of its fleet was built between 1946 and 1952 by the Pullman-Standard Company. These are the oldest trolleybuses in regular service anywhere in the world, even though they only serve one route now.
– Wulff Castle is a historic castle overlooking the sea in Viña del Mar (a city adjacent to Valparaiso). It serves as a cultural center now.
– Colorful houses on steep hills and funicular railway system is what makes the skyline of the city special. Seven out of sixteen elevators are still in operation, here are some of them: Ascensor El Peral, Reina Victoria, Polanco, Artilleria, Concepcion. Any of those will offer some exciting experience and amazing city views from above.
– Annual New Year’s fireworks in Valparaiso is well known for bringing an amazing show, festive and party atmosphere. It is estimated that over 1 million people head to the city for celebration on New Year’s Eve.
– Reloj de Flores (Flower clock) is an actual mechanical clock in the center of the flower bed located in Viña del Mar. It was opened in 1962 as a part of preparations for the FIFA World Cup. Designers used flowers that bloom throughout the year to allow an all-year experience. There were two episodes when the clock stopped working, though, and had to be fixed or replaced – one of them being vandalism in September 2013 and second was the tree that fell on the clock (during the landslide caused by storm).