#include <bits/stdc++.h>
using namespace std;
long long int n, h[300007], dp[300007];
vector<long long int> nxt[300007];
stack<long long int> a, b;
int main() {
  ios_base::sync_with_stdio(0);
  cin.tie(0);
  cin >> n;
  for (long long int i = 1; i <= n; ++i) {
    cin >> h[i];
    if (i < n) nxt[i].push_back(i + 1);
  }
  for (long long int i = 1; i <= n; ++i) {
    while (!a.empty() && h[a.top()] <= h[i]) nxt[a.top()].push_back(i), a.pop();
    while (!b.empty() && h[b.top()] >= h[i]) nxt[b.top()].push_back(i), b.pop();
    a.push(i);
    b.push(i);
  }
  while ((long long int)a.size()) a.pop();
  while ((long long int)b.size()) b.pop();
  for (long long int i = n; i >= 1; --i) {
    while (!a.empty() && h[a.top()] <= h[i]) nxt[i].push_back(a.top()), a.pop();
    while (!b.empty() && h[b.top()] >= h[i]) nxt[i].push_back(b.top()), b.pop();
    a.push(i);
    b.push(i);
  }
  memset(dp, 0x3f, sizeof(dp));
  dp[1] = 0;
  for (long long int i = 1; i < n; ++i) {
    for (long long int j : nxt[i]) {
      dp[j] = min(dp[j], dp[i] + 1);
    }
  }
  cout << dp[n] << '\n';
  return 0;
}
