From Belo Horizonte we took a bus to Ouro Preto which was the former Minas Gerais state capital until 1897 and is now a UNESCO World Heritage site. We left most of our gear in Belo Horizonte in the hostel and just took enough gear for a two day stay.
The hostel we stayed in was cell-like with a set of bunks more suitable for children than adults. However it was close to the bus station and a short downhill walk to the centre of town. The owner was an elderly man who shuffled about in his beanie and polar fleece jacket with a beaming smile. The hostel was surrounded by a huge park so we saw lots of birds.
The cobbled streets went up and down and the place was full of local tourists as it was the weekend of Lover's Day. Our hostel was full of couples enjoying a break from their cities so we lucky to even get a room.
Being a higher altitude than Belo Horizonte it was absolutely freezing for us. We had to get an extra blanket and slept in all the gear we brought with us. Ear plugs were essential as there was a barn used as a bar nightclub just down the hill from us and they played music until the early hours.
We spent everyday walking around the town visiting some of the baroque churches and enjoyed the Museum of Science and Technology showing the history of mining.
We took a local bus to the nearby town of Mariana and looked at their baroque buildings and squares. There were lots of couples wandering the historic streets and taking selfies. A car with its boot open blaring music drove around the town accompanied by girls with sashes, as worn by beauty queens, and a stream of young boys on horses behind. We were not sure of the significance of that parade.
Every morning we had a visit from these mica estrella monkeys and the cook would give them bananas and they would head off until the next morning. They probably had a circuit
around the park where they got more food.
The hostel we stayed in was cell-like with a set of bunks more suitable for children than adults. However it was close to the bus station and a short downhill walk to the centre of town. The owner was an elderly man who shuffled about in his beanie and polar fleece jacket with a beaming smile. The hostel was surrounded by a huge park so we saw lots of birds.
The cobbled streets went up and down and the place was full of local tourists as it was the weekend of Lover's Day. Our hostel was full of couples enjoying a break from their cities so we lucky to even get a room.
Being a higher altitude than Belo Horizonte it was absolutely freezing for us. We had to get an extra blanket and slept in all the gear we brought with us. Ear plugs were essential as there was a barn used as a bar nightclub just down the hill from us and they played music until the early hours.
We spent everyday walking around the town visiting some of the baroque churches and enjoyed the Museum of Science and Technology showing the history of mining.
Mariana
We took a local bus to the nearby town of Mariana and looked at their baroque buildings and squares. There were lots of couples wandering the historic streets and taking selfies. A car with its boot open blaring music drove around the town accompanied by girls with sashes, as worn by beauty queens, and a stream of young boys on horses behind. We were not sure of the significance of that parade.
Every morning we had a visit from these mica estrella monkeys and the cook would give them bananas and they would head off until the next morning. They probably had a circuit
around the park where they got more food.
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