Belo Horizonte Brazil

I took early advantage of the nice weather today and went downtown to finally tour Belo Horizonte. I arrived downtown just after 8:00 AM and started a day-long trek all over centro BH. I took many wonderful pictures but unfortunately did not have enough time to go in to any museums, though a couple of them greatly interested me (the art and geology museums). I did a little shopping as well before heading back to Felipe's for the day. He did not join me - this was a solo outing, and I felt... Read Full Story

It's been a ridiculously busy couple of days, so I have some catching up to do! Wednesday Eric, Sidnei, Felipe and I all went to Vila Velha to do some car shopping and then to go to the beach (Praia da Costa). By the time we walked to the beach it was pretty late, but that did not stop Sidnei and Felipe from diving in to the cold ocean water. The beach itself is very beautiful, and I took many pictures. Eric was in a bad mood most of the day but improved greatly once we were at the beach... Read Full Story

I am writing this back at Felipe's apartment in Belo Horizonte. The weekend in São Teago went well I think, though I also think Felipe is looking forward to my departure. I'm not sure if he is just tired of speaking in English, or is just tired of me. The first 48 hours we had a lot of fun and he seemed to enjoy my company, but these last 48 hours he's become rather annoyed and impatient. I don't think I've done anything to warrant his behavior (I've asked multiple times and have paid my fair... Read Full Story

I am sitting alone here in Belo Horizonte's airport - the constant sound of jack hammers and the glow of airline monitors my only company. I'm not even sure where the noise is coming from - I have not seen a construction worker or any lighting that would indicate a construction site. I am sitting by the passenger pick-up area. It is open to the outdoors (though there is a roof) and the fresh air is welcome after 11 hours of stale airplane air. It is a large modernist concrete facility - drab... Read Full Story

The Bar Capital of Brazil Brazilians take their beer very seriously. If you are an enthusiast yourself, you should consider a trip to Belo Horizonte, in the state of Minas Gerais, where there are more bars per capita than anywhere else in Brazil. What is Brazil's best beer? It's really a personal choice. Musician Zeca Pagodinho appeared in a major ad campaign for Antarctica and was then sued when he went back to drinking his personal favorite, Brahma. Some people buy Nova Schin just because... Read Full Story