Blogs from Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brazil, South America

Talvez o maior conjunto arquitetônico do barroco de Minas Gerais situe-se naquela que foi um dia a capital Vila Rica hoje conhecida como a cidade de Ouro Preto. Encravada nas montanhas dona de paisagens belíssimas com temperaturas amenas e um ar puro invejável, Ouro Preto a cada esquina é uma novidade, é uma história, é o momento de se viver para nunca mais esquecer vielas e becos ancestrais que nos remetem à Inconfidência de Tiradentes, ao barroco de mestre Ataíde e Aleijadinho. Possuidora de belezas construídas pelo homem mas também de uma natureza linda e exuberante, sub dividiremos assim tais paisagens e programações feitas para quem deseja curtir cultura e natureza: natureza e arquitetura. Um dos lugares mais visitados e que despertam a curiosidade no turista justificávelmente é a casa dos Inconfidentes hoje batizada de Museu ... read more

This guesthouse has all mod cons including an iron so am able to leave for Salvador tomorrow with most of my clothes clean and ironed. Have discovered there is only cold water in the two sinks in the kitchen and in my bathroom's washbasin -the only hot water seems to be in the shower. Yet there is a water dispenser which supplies filtered water at iced and room temperature on tap. I suppose that when you are travelling and moving around a lot losing things is inevitable. Am already tired of living out of a suitcase. Did try to unpack here but it's difficult to organise so many toiletries and electronics and medication and there is beach gear that I haven't yet used. This morning I spent half an hour looking for a little bag with ... read more

Am off to Ouro Preto today via a flight to Belo Horizonte and two buses. Ouro is a UNESCO world heritage site, which was founded in 1698 became the centre of Brazil's gold mining rush. Ouro Preto means black gold, and at one time it was the capital of the state of Minas Gerais. As recommended by Sheila, got up before 7 to leave for my flight at 10 am from the downtown airport, Santos Dumont, which is only about 12 km away. Ridiculous, but she was worried about the traffic on a Monday morning and there were also a lot of roadworks. I was going to pick up a cab in the street and was also worried that in a city with hundreds, if not thousands, of cabs there would be none to be seen ... read more

Saturday 11th January (Odyssey Day 64) We had a nice lazy start this morning, as we didn’t depart until 1000. Donna and Glenn decided to stay a few extra days in Rio, so they will catch us up later in the trip, likely in Brasilia. The rest of the group are sad to leave Rio, but made the most of the late start to enjoy a leisurely breakfast and one last trip to the beach. We made a lunch stop in Petropolis, a lovely town not too far from Rio. It’s one of the older towns and is still used by the wealthy as a holiday spot. A lot of the roads are paved and there is the Imperial Museum, which was once the Summer Palace of an Emperor of Brazil. Our camp tonight is in ... read more

Projektet jag for till Brasilien for att delta i ar helt plotsligt fardigt och det har ar (ungefar) inlagget jag tankt skicka till CISV Umeas blogg for att beratta om vad jag haft for mig i tre veckor: Oi tía! Ett trettiotal barn som skriker efter uppmarksamhet, ris och bonor ris och bonor ris och bonor, utmattande lekar i utmattande tropisk sol samt sprak och kulturbarriarer av ett slag jag aldrig tidigare upplevt; de senaste veckorna har pa manga satt varit tuffa men det har trots detta varit helt fantastiskt att ha borjat 2011 med att vara "tía" at ett gang elvaaringar fran en sk favela i Vitória, Espirito Santo, Brasilien och jag ska har gora ett forsok till att beratta varfor. Jag har deltagit i ett International People's Project, som ar CISVs program for dig ... read more