#include <bits/stdc++.h>
#define rep(i,n) for(int i=0; i<(n); ++i)
#define repx(i,x,n) for(int i=x; i<(n); ++i)
#define fixed_setprecision(n) fixed << setprecision((n))
#define execution_time(ti) printf("Execution Time: %.4lf sec\n", 1.0 * (clock() - ti) / CLOCKS_PER_SEC);
#define pai 3.1415926535897932384
#define NUM_MAX 2e18
#define NUM_MIN -1e9
using namespace std;
using ll = long long;
using P = pair<int,int>;
template<class T> inline bool chmax(T& a, T b){ if(a<b){ a=b; return 1; } return 0; }
template<class T> inline bool chmin(T& a, T b){ if(a>b){ a=b; return 1; } return 0; }
int main() {
int N;
cin >> N;
int res=0;
vector<int> A(N);
for(auto &a:A) cin >> a;
for(int i=0; i<N; i++){
while(i+1<N && A[i] == A[i+1]) i++;
if(i+1<N && A[i] < A[i+1]) while(i+1<N && A[i] <= A[i+1]) i++;
else if(i+1<N && A[i] > A[i+1]) while(i+1<N && A[i] >= A[i+1]) i++;
res++;
}
cout << res << endl;
return 0;
}