OURO PRETO

First impression ... an amazing place!

Imposing baroque churches

... the churches are most frequently perched on the hills

... and the hills are pretty steep!

Donkeys remain one of the most effective ways to transport wood across the slippy cobblestones

last impression ... an amazing place!!
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We ventured back into the mountains of Minas Gerais and stayed in the picturesque town of Ouro Preto. We survived the overnight coach journey and found ourselves in the bus station overlooking the town at 5.30 am. From this hilltop we could see over half a dozen huge, baroque churches peering out through the clouds that were scurrying passed. During the two days we stopped in the town, we discovered fourteen of these churches that dominate the eighteenth century buildings of the town.

When we donned helmets to walk into a mineshaft, we did not come across a great deal of gold. But during the eightieth century the region around Ouro Preto produced two thirds of the world’s gold. The Portages built a major ‘Casa dos Contos’ (a mint) which has now become one of the best museums in the town. Artist and craftsmen were attracted into this wealthy centre and much of their handiwork is still seen around Ouro Preto.

The most famous craftsman and architect from this period was Aleijadinho (Portuguese for ‘little cripple’). The church of São Francisco de Assis contains much of his elaborate sculpture and the ceiling contains a much later superb painting that we were not allowed to photograph. We walked like latterday pilgrims, up and down steep hills, visiting churches and museums occasionally shielding behind our umbrellas. The locals seem to manage to walk on the cobblestones in flat open sandals, we needed trainers to walk in. They seem a tough hardy lot up there in the mountains!

Being an independent lot, it is not surprising to discover that the first revolt against the Portuguese was started in Ouro Preto led by a dentist (Portuguese ‘Tiradentes’ = teeth puller) named Xavier. The main square, Tiradentes Square, is dominated by the Museu da Inconfidencia which commemorates his unsuccessful rebellion. The outside was more impressive than the contents of this museum. Our pousada was just around the corner and we had impressive views of the town from our balcony. We left this spectacular town to the accompaniment of a massive lightning storm. Quite a place to remember!

BOAT TRIP

We approach the Rio boat station

Santos Dumont airport

Flamengo beach with the famous Christ statue behind

Sugar Loaf towering over Urca

.. interesting buildings in Urca

One of the 18th century forts guarding the mouth of the bay on the Rio side...

... and here is one of the forts on the Niteroi side.

Little boats being pulled out into the bay on a cable

Jurujuba beach on the Niteroi side of the bay

Sugar Loaf peeping out in the gap between Jurujuba and Charitas

The impressive bridge

... central arch constructed by the British firm Balfour Beaty apparently! (The rest by Brazilian engineers)


The 'wedding cake'

... and back to Niteroi boat station with another wavey Oscar Niemeyer building (the theatre) in view.
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Every Sunday a large ferry boat sets out from Niteroi on a tour of the entire bay area. This is where we got on with about a hundred people. It goes over to Rio where it picks up hundreds more tourists who are already too late to have grabbed the best seats. Then it slowly picks its way along the coast, past Santos Dumont airport (built on reclaimed land), Flamengo and Botofogo beaches, until it nearly comes to rest before Urca and Sugar Loaf mountain. Then it moves to the bay mouth where excellent views of the ancient forts can be had and crosses over to Niteroi. As it wends its way past Adam and Eve beaches to Jurajuba, you can view the plethora of pleasure craft enjoying a quiet Sunday morning out on the water. Past Charitas, São Francisco and Icarai beaches, the ferry sails past the boat station and out towards the 13 kilometre bridge that connects Rio with Niteroi. Completed in 1974, this is an impressive piece of engineering whose structure can only really be seen from beneath. The ferry ducks through the central span, then comes back to pass by the naval dockyard with its wedding cake building (built for naval officers) and docks at the Rio terminal for those unlucky enough to have embarked there to get off. On the way back to Niteroi, the sound system at last falls silent. Throughout the 3 hour journey, a jolly woman has been entertaining the passengers with an running commentary of where we have been. Our Portuguese was not quite up to following the torrent of words; but we enjoyed the views nonetheless.

Pão de açucar (Sugar Loaf Mountain)

Don't you think this looks like a whale?

A cable journey not recommended for anyone who suffers from vertigo!

Some people travel the expensive way!

Below the mountain lies the very pleasant neighbourhood of Urca

You can see ocean beaches on the left (Praia Vermelha and Copacabana) and the bay beach of Botofogo on the right.

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Rearing its head over the bay stands a huge volcanic plug. The rock looks to me like some immense whale out of a bad science fiction story: but to others it has the shape of the locally popular sugar loaf. To clamber up the side of the whale, you would need to be a skilled mountaineer. So we took the tourist route, the cable car. But even this is not straightforward. The first cable takes you up to a nearby peak. This is already pretty high and has a heliport, snack bar and lengthy promenade around which you can walk to view the sights of Rio. You used to be able to wander around the gardens here, but now a raised walkway ensures that they remain untouched by tourist boots.

A second cable takes you up and up until you reach the top of the Sugar Loaf. From here you can see spectacular views of the ocean beaches (especially Copacabana) and all the beaches around the bay (Urca, Botofogo, Flamengo and those on the other side of the bay – Icarai, São Francisco (we could see our apartment block through binoculars), Adam and Eve. You could also view most of the city of Rio although photographs from here cannot capture the sheer scale of the panorama.

Descent confirms an interesting optical illusion. As you travel up in a cable car, another one coming down appears to be travelling fast whilst you are labouring under the weight of passengers (up to 70 in a car). But on the way down, the car coming up appears to be travelling at high velocity whilst you are making a careful descent. Perhaps it is an effect from an imagined science fiction story that features a huge whale!

Paraty

We spent 3 days in Paraty ... Ray's favourite place in Brazil. It was the coastal town at the end of the gold trail; but then got abandoned as a trading centre a couple of hundred years ago. So the buildings (and cobbled streets ... no vehicles) are more or less as they were in the 18th and 19th century.

We stayed in a very nice pousada: every chalet overlooked the sea.

Then we went on Tony's boat for a day out in the perfect swimming waters, lovely islands and (for Malcolm) spectacular birdwatching terrain!

Here we are; four intrepid travellers about to descend into strange caves:

We emerged unscathed and went swimming. Tony presented Malcolm with this star fish

... and here is Ray, in hois element, looking out across the water whilst lying on Tony's boat