#include <bits/stdc++.h>
using namespace std;
const int MAXN = 300005;
const int MAXINT = 1073741823;
vector<int> neighbors[MAXN];
int a[MAXN];
int greater_right[MAXN];
int greater_left[MAXN];
int less_right[MAXN];
int less_left[MAXN];
int dp[MAXN];
stack<int> s;
int main() {
  ios::sync_with_stdio(false);
  cin.tie(0);
  int n;
  cin >> n;
  for (int i = 0; i < n; i++) cin >> a[i];
  for (int i = 0; i < n; i++) {
    while (!s.empty() && a[s.top()] < a[i]) s.pop();
    greater_left[i] = (s.empty() ? -1 : s.top());
    s.push(i);
  }
  stack<int>().swap(s);
  for (int i = 0; i < n; i++) {
    while (!s.empty() && a[s.top()] > a[i]) s.pop();
    less_left[i] = (s.empty() ? -1 : s.top());
    s.push(i);
  }
  stack<int>().swap(s);
  for (int i = n - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
    while (!s.empty() && a[s.top()] < a[i]) s.pop();
    greater_right[i] = (s.empty() ? -1 : s.top());
    s.push(i);
  }
  stack<int>().swap(s);
  for (int i = n - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
    while (!s.empty() && a[s.top()] > a[i]) s.pop();
    less_right[i] = (s.empty() ? -1 : s.top());
    s.push(i);
  }
  for (int i = 0; i < n; i++) {
    if (greater_left[i] != -1) neighbors[greater_left[i]].push_back(i);
    if (greater_right[i] != -1) neighbors[i].push_back(greater_right[i]);
    if (less_left[i] != -1) neighbors[less_left[i]].push_back(i);
    if (less_right[i] != -1) neighbors[i].push_back(less_right[i]);
  }
  fill(dp, dp + n, MAXINT);
  dp[0] = 0;
  for (int i = 0; i < n; i++)
    for (int j : neighbors[i]) dp[j] = min(dp[j], dp[i] + 1);
  cout << dp[n - 1];
  return 0;
}
