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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
............ 
Dec 10, 2018 10:00 PM Beautiful Mariana
In the morning I was wandering around the beautiful city of Mariana located on the Estrada Real. The old part of the city looks very attractive. There are two nice viewpoints: one in fron of the hospital and the other near Rosario church built on the little hill.
The heart of the old Mariana is fantastic Pelurinho Square with the stone column, where the slaves were punished. There are 2 majestic churches on this square - San Francisco (closed) and Carmo. Opposite San Francisco you will see ornate house of the City Council.
Mariana has little lovely railway station, but the train on the single track to Ouro Preto goes only on weekends and the tickets are expensive!
In the afternoon I took a bus to Ouro Preto. Sorry, the internet here is to weak to upload pictures. I will make it later... Done!
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Dec 09, 2018 10:00 PM Caraca and Catas Altas in one day!
Isolated in the mountains Sanctuary Caraca lies 27 kms from Santa Barbara, but there is no public transport. I was forced to take the taxi... They charge 100 BRL for round trip ride with 1-2 hours waiting, no bargaining... :)
It was cloudy in the morning, but no rain. We drove 7 kms on the main road to Cocais, then turn left. After 6 kms you will be at the park gate where they register the vehicle and they gave you little, but useful map of the area. Then paved road climbs up and up. No traffic at all. Your driver will stop on the marked view point, 1300 m above sea level. This is the place where you will see sanctuary in the distance. 4 kms onward you will be at the gate to pay 12 reales entry fee.
It is unusual place. The church, monastery, garden, library, museum... Enjoy included lunch... The nicest view is from Calvary hill nearby...
Back in Santa Barbara I took a bus to Catas Altas (4,40 - 40 min).
This village has spectacular location at the bottom of huge mountain range. Many colonial houses around Conceicao Church - great place with cobbled streets and sleepy atmosphere....
The passing - by bus to Mariana was 45 min late (Brazil!) but I enjoyed great mountain views on this ride. Take the seat at the right window and you will be delighted!
Mariana on the Estrada Real is now a huge town. It was not easy to find my pension. But I did it... Good night!
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Dec 08, 2018 10:00 PM Hitchhiking in Brazil
Internet is great tool, but...
From Caete where I spent the night to Caraca Sanctuary on the internet map is around 60 kms. But internet doesn't know that even local taxi drivers do not go this gravel road because robbery and attacks with weapon are common there - they say. The way around the risky zone is already 120 kms long... What should I do?
First I decided to go by public bus back to the main road. Then I started to hitchhike. Sorry, dear Brasilians - it seems that you do not know what is it! I was staying in the safe place (bay) Lonely old man. Traffic was intensive. And nobody stopped the car during 1,5 hours.... Uuuu!
Finally, desperated I stopped the regular bus. Nobody here knows what time the bus will be passing - I was lucky!
The bus took me to the old town of Santa Barbara with abandoned railway station and few nice churches. Matriz Church is worth to see due to the rich interior. It is on the picture. I stay in the little hotel (80 reals for single with bath and breakfast). I will try to reach Caraca tomorrow.
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Dec 07, 2018 10:00 PM Estrada Real - to Caete
To escape from Belo Horizonte you have to find a bus. Not an easy task on the BH rodviaria! Imagine, that on the main bus station of 1,5 mln city they do not have info desk! English is unknown, few people sent me to different directions and different companies... Finally a guy in the white shirt took my hand and we went to the lower level of the terminal where are few stands of the green suburban buses. This isthe stop for Caete bus! :) I paid 12,50 and was ready for1,5 h ride. We drove through the green mountains...
Caete is my next town on the Kings Road. From the roof terrace of my Caete Real Hotel I see picturesque church NS Matriz -the highlight of the town. The interior of the church is very rich. Officially it is forbidden to take the pictures inside, but it seems that I am the only tourist in Caete today... See the picture!
. I took also the walk to the old cemetery on the next hill - the place offers great view of the mountains. People are quiet and nice, greeting me and starting the talk. Then I smile and say "No fala Portuguese" So bad, I really want to be closer to them...
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Dec 06, 2018 10:00 PM Brothel and gold museum...
Today the wake up was early - at 5 am. My host and charming Isabel took me to the bus terminal and at 6 am I was already on the bus heading to Belo Horizonte. It was a long way - 7 hours drive (93 BRL) In the landscape of green mountains. Normally they do it in 5,5 h, but there were traffic jam on the way - be prepared!
I decided to stay in Belo close to the bus station to make a side trip to old city of Sabara and back before continuing onward on Estrada Real.
I booked a inexpensive motel close to rodoviaria via the renowned booking.com. When I arrived, it became clear that it is not a motel but a brothel. I the reception they advertise proudly: to our guest we offer one condom for free! Red lights in the narrow corridors. Mirrors over the bed...
But I had no time to look for the other cheapie... I left my luggage and jumped on the city bus going to Sabara (5 BRL each way, 20 kms).
Sabara has a nice old town with churches, cobbled streets and little squares. I found the re Gold Museum located in the old mansion. It is not about the gold but about the methods and tools they used to mine it in tbe surroundings. Entry is free and the ladies in charge (no English spoken) were very happy to have the first foreigner on this day.
I returned in the late afternoon. Happy to have the shower, the tea boiled in the room and expecting that nobody will bother me in this brothel tonight... That's' budget traveller's life....
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Dec 05, 2018 10:00 PM Diamantina - the diamonds are here
What a name of the city! In the colonial times they were mining diamonds here. They still mine them here (legally or illegaly) The city gets rich. Many elegant churches and public buildings were built. Now they are nicely restored and as a UNESCO place they bacame a great tourist attraction. But very few tourists come here - it is 5 hours bus drive from Belo Horizonte and much more from Rio or Sao Paulo.
I was walking today steep, cobbled streets enjoying the old architecture. The Diamond Museum close to cathedral is worth a visit and is free.
The heat is acceptable because it is 1100 m above sea level. Nice and safe place! Kilo of bananas costs 3 reals and a dozen of eggs - 4 reals. :)
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Dec 04, 2018 10:00 PM By bus to Diamantina...
The air humidity is very high here. In the morning my laundry is still wet. At 10.30 I have a bus to Diamantina - the northernmost point on my route on Estrada Real...
Ticket cost me 23,50 BRL and this was 3 hours ride.
The conductor (all them wear nice uniforms) tried to explain me something, but sorry, in Portuguese only. I understood later - I was forced to change the bus in a little town on the way.
The landscape was nice all the way. We were picking people in many places - sometimes in the middle of nowhere. Then I saw Diamantina - the town bigger than Serro and Conceicao... We passed through industrial suburbs. Rodoviaria - the bus terminal is at the edge of the old town. I started the walk to my host delighted by the old architecture. Beautiful historic town! No wonder that it is on the UNESCO list of World Heritage.
I found the address. The gate is closed firmly. Only the dogs bark inside. So where is my Couchsurfing host?
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Dec 03, 2018 10:00 PM Colonial Serro
In the morning my host gave me a lift back to the asphalt road. It was 20 kms of mud... We spent some time in Conceicao old town with cobbled streets and few nice churches. Then I embarked the public bus heading to Serro. For 60 kms ride I paid by card 24 BRL. I hoped that on the main road it will take me like an hour to reach Serro. No, no, no...
Most of this important road is still gravel & mud... Big lorries were passing by while we were waiting in few places. Finally I reached rodoviaria (bus terminal) on the outskirts of Serro after 2 hours...
In fact it is the frirst town on the Estrada Real (King's Road) I visit. And I am enchanted. Streets cobbled by the big stones, nicely decorated mansions, many churches... It is worth to climb to Sta Rita built on the hill for the great view. From the window in my pousada I have great panorama of the town and the green hills around. The only problem I see are the cars - allowed to park in the narrow streets. But Serro still has the great colonial atmosphere! Nobody in the tourist office speaks any English - if the case of emergency they use smartphone to translate the phrase - like in China... :)
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Dec 02, 2018 10:00 PM 2000 kms of country roads...
In the province of Conceicao do Mato Dentro whe I am they have 2000 kms of red, muddy, bumpy roads sneaking up and down green, rolling hills. It is undiscovered paradise for 4WD lovers. Those roads are crossing streams and rivers, they lead to the view points and great waterfalls. I am not a 4WD drive lover, but today I had a good sample of such an adventure. It was rainny in the morning but my host in Tabuleiro - Sr Ricardo offered to took me with his 2WD car to the Horse Tail waterfall - 10 kms away. Why not?
Only once per week - on Thursday public bus goes in the morning from the mountains to Conceicao, returning same day in the afternoon, so for the single traveller such a kind offer is great. We were going on the red roads in the pasture an forestal landscape, passing lonely fazendas and enjoying the views. We were close to the Peixe Tolo Canyon, where from the entrance you can walk up 1 hour to the second high waterfall of Brazil and another 1 hour to the end of the canyon with much lower fall.
Then we took another road challenge to Horse Tail, but the level of the river to cross was to high for 2WD. Bad luck. Same situation was in the afternoon, when I tried to walk to Congonhas waterfall - 4 kms up and down from Tabuleiro... But I still saw a lot! Just let you know that the driest season here is from May to August - nobody told me that! :)
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Dec 01, 2018 10:00 PM Climbing to Cachoeira
It was already dark yesterday evening when I reached by steep country road little village of Tabuleiro. I spent the night in tne cozy and lush Villa Tabuleiro. It was raining whole night...
The main attraction of the area is Cachoeira de Tabuleiro - the third highest waterfall in Brazil, 273 m high! It was not raining in the morning so just after a breakfast included in the room rate (100 BRL) I started 4 kms walk to the park gate. Not easy task because the red, muddy road goes mostly uphill... The waterfall is visible already from the park gate (they were very nice to me, sorry - no maps but also no entry fees).
Once you crossed the gate you have a choice of 3 paths: left one goes down to the pool under the fall, central - to the best view point opposite the fall. The right one climbes to the top of the fall....
I did the central and the left and I am enchanted. Who knows about Tabuleiro? It reminds me Angel Fall visited many years ago...
More in the separate report....
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