We caught the bus to Ouro Preto last night (after a bit of confusion from being told the wrong place to get to and catching a bus to the other side of Rio from the coach station...)
An ansolute angel called Tito helped us to find our platform (the only one not signposted...). He said he had a daughter our age but he looked in his 20's. He said it was because he didn't get drunk or high, and advised us to do the same to get the most out of our trip. He told us to follew our heart, not our eyes.
The coach journey was amazing! I was cursing the dark, as we climbed up bumpy winding roads where whenever there was a break in the huge tropical looking trees you could just make out these deep valleys. It looked like ti would have been very pretty.
Neither of us slept much, but Ash was just dropping off when it was starting to get light. As far as I could see stretching off into the mist were valleys of rainforest like you see on telly. I've wanted to see that all my life but I didn'tthink I would yet at all, this area's not even green on the map!
Anyway, Ouro Preto is absolutely gorgeous, it's got at least 8 churches so far, really well preserved colonial town. Everywhere you look it's pretty little alleyways, cobbled streets, and beyond the town, mountains covered with tropical plants. It's so beautiful!
When we arrived it was raining steadily, but we went for an explore anyway and got drenched walking around town.
There's 2 chocolateries (but we were too early for either) and at least a hundred crystal and gem shops (Ouro Preto is the only place in the world where Imperial Topaz is found- and proud!
We watched some men carving soapstone, and met a lovely lady selling crystals called Rachel (pronounced Hacheoow) who reccommended a beautiful sounding beach - Praia du Forte - near Salvador, and gave us a hug to give to a man there... So now we have to go!
We also sat down ina cafe and got mutually our best hot chocolate ever.
It was a small cup of thick hot chocolate, with orange, lemon rind, cointreau and cloves, with mega thick cream on top!
Now we're sitting in the back garden of our pretty little hostel loving the sun - but the churches don't seem to care what the time is - as soon as one stops one or two others start bonging. Marc would hate it here :)
It literally hasn't gone quiet for 5 minutes, allday, it's quite funny!
Oh. It turns out this isn't normal, there's just been a big procession with a brass band and flowers and some folks dressed as angels. It's the funeral of the 'Big Boss' of half the churches in town today.
Ash misses Stef a lot today :(
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