Since you may already be familiar with this type of transportation, I want to introduce you to a mode of transport that surprised me when I took a side trip to Valparaíso, a vibrant port city about an hour and a half to the west of Santiago on the Pacific Ocean.
So, how do people get up and down the hills? There is, of course, the option to take the stairs, but that can get pretty tiring if you have to take them every day to get back and forth from work (you’d have to take hundreds!). Buses and taxis are available as well, but switchbacks and limited bus routes can be inefficient.
Alternatively, ascensores (which translates to "elevator" in English) provide an inexpensive and direct route to help people get up and down the hills at a sharp incline. They use a mechanically operated pulley system, cost less than 50 cents to ride, and look like large boxes that hold about ten people.
Unlike the modern feeling of the bus systems and metro that I’m used to in Santiago, the ascensores in Valparaíso feel rickety and historic. When you step into the entrance, a man or woman greets you and asks for a few pesos (coins) to ride (no tickets, cards or no-contact payments here!). Then you step through the turnstile and wait for him or her to open the door to the wooden box car that takes you up or down the hill. It almost feels like the beginning of a rollercoaster... except you get to get off before the big drop!
If you’d like to see the ascensores in action, check out these videos! https://ascensoresvalparaiso.org/videos
