#include <bits/stdc++.h>
using namespace std;
int main() {
  long long n;
  cin >> n;
  long long a[n];
  long long dp[n];
  for (long long i = 0; i < n; i++) {
    cin >> a[i];
    dp[i] = INT_MAX;
  }
  stack<long long> s;
  long long nge[n];
  for (long long i = 0; i < n; i++) {
    while (!s.empty() && a[s.top()] <= a[i]) {
      nge[s.top()] = i;
      s.pop();
    }
    s.push(i);
  }
  while (!s.empty()) {
    nge[s.top()] = -1;
    s.pop();
  }
  long long nse[n];
  for (long long i = 0; i < n; i++) {
    while (!s.empty() && a[s.top()] >= a[i]) {
      nse[s.top()] = i;
      s.pop();
    }
    s.push(i);
  }
  while (!s.empty()) {
    nse[s.top()] = -1;
    s.pop();
  }
  long long pse[n];
  for (long long i = n - 1; i > -1; i--) {
    while (!s.empty() && a[s.top()] >= a[i]) {
      pse[s.top()] = i;
      s.pop();
    }
    s.push(i);
  }
  while (!s.empty()) {
    pse[s.top()] = -1;
    s.pop();
  }
  long long pge[n];
  for (long long i = n - 1; i > -1; i--) {
    while (!s.empty() && a[s.top()] <= a[i]) {
      pge[s.top()] = i;
      s.pop();
    }
    s.push(i);
  }
  while (!s.empty()) {
    pge[s.top()] = -1;
    s.pop();
  }
  vector<int> adj[n];
  for (long long i = 0; i < n; i++) {
    if (nge[i] != -1) adj[i].push_back(nge[i]);
    if (nse[i] != -1) adj[i].push_back(nse[i]);
    if (pge[i] != -1) adj[pge[i]].push_back(i);
    if (pse[i] != -1) adj[pse[i]].push_back(i);
  }
  dp[0] = 0;
  for (long long i = 0; i < n; i++) {
    for (long long j = 0; j < adj[i].size(); j++) {
      dp[adj[i][j]] = min(dp[adj[i][j]], dp[i] + 1);
    }
  }
  cout << dp[n - 1];
}
