Red Light: Stop

Just an observation. I think more people than ever are running red lights in this city. I sit at green lights for at least 30 seconds sometimes while people in the other direction JUST KEEP GOING. I think one day I'm gonna just hit the accelerator.

The Unique Revisited...

Those of you who know of my life in Brasil understand my hang-up with kids Birthday parties here. Today was "unique". The party was hosted at what is possibly the hottest "art" hotel in Brasil, by a popular local model & her husband who I understand is the owner of the place. It is these surral afternoons that I will probably remember most after my time here is up. I have never seen so many beautiful people all in one place. I have never seen such an amazing buffet either: sushi, fresh home-made pasta, a dessert buffet with every treat imaginable for the kids, and a mountain of chocolate boxes from the most posh chocolate shop to be found in Sao Paulo. A small troupe of actors arrived to act out the story of Cinderella interactively, and there were automated rides, video games, and the most expensive craft I have seen yet - decorate your own ball-cap or handbag. The Parabens table was adorned with a larger-than-life dollhouse and all the little creatures from cinderella were scattered all over it. The cake was actually a castle. You couldn't see the Birthday girl for all the stuff around her. For me it was a little bit of alright - whatever drink your heart desired, and trendy single-size electric blue bottles of Pommery champagne into which once uncorked blue & silver straws were inserted. Think soda shop with a very expensive twist. Never hurts when you have to make inane conversation in a language not your own. Highlights today: my favourite mummy telling me to go shopping for "that" underwear (the modelesque woman in question had on a Grecian toga-like dress in white jersey underneath which I could see some ruffled thong-like apparatus) and seeing the butt crack and a great deal of the butt of a mother who had on trousers which were just TOO low cut. Nice....

Minas Gerais

Easter weekend. A blow-out here in Brazil. We decided to finally get our act together and get up to Minas Gerais - the original treasure chest of Brazil. Drove for the better part of 7 hours to get to Belo Horizonte, the state capital, and the drive was surprisingly beautiful. As opposed to Belo Horizonte which was a mini-Sao Paulo. I never would have believed it possible to be stuck for 45 minutes in a traffic jam in the middle of no-where. Now I know.....
But once outside the city, it was like driving through a tropical Tuscany. Rolling mountains, curving roads, atmospheric mist, but interspersed with the trappings of third world hardship: cinder-block constructions on the side of the road, street vendors selling fruit and crafts, and the occassional road-side bakery. The outskirts of the historic cities were not regulated in terms of development, and were therefore pretty nasty. But the protected historic centres were wonderful. Ouro Preto (Black Gold) in particular was astounding. This was the main centre where gold was taken from Brazil and sent down to the coast for shipment to Portugal, and it showed. One church (of which there must have been over 30) had over 400 kilos of gold decorating the inside alone. When "churched-out" it was possible just to sit outside and feast on the local cuisine: let's just say an even heavier version of typical Brazilian fare - rice, beans, beef, pork, cheese, bread, potatoes, until you want to vomit. Instead, though, I normally chose to wash it down with a Caipirinha. Beauty. We headed further south on the gold route to Tiradentes, stopping in Congonhas to see sculptures carved by a notoriously talented cripple around the 1880's. Apparently, without the use of hands, he had chisels bound to his stumps and carved lifelike images all over this part of the country. I rather liked his fish (see above...)
Tiradentes could not possibly have been more touristy - or charming. It was like a mountain "Paraty" with better food. The churches were again copious and ornate, and we were delighted to see the images of the saints "tucked up" at night beneath becoming purple fabric. Brazilians are mad about their saints. We took the "Steaming Mary" train - apparently the first steam train operating in Brazil - from Tiradentes to Sao Joao del Rei to see yet more bloody churches. At that point I just sat down, gave Jasper his Power Ranger magazine and drank a huge bottle of beer while waiting for the train to take us back. Bad idea as no bathrooms on it... The highlight of the trainride, apart from the atmospheric chugging and antique carriages, as well as the mountain scenery, was a huge electric blue butterfly drifting past us.
Easter was good. The bunny found us. We drank gassy mineral water directly from the spring (cool!) and got to see a bit more of Brazil. What was most wonderful of all, was to see most of the tourists were Brazilians, revelling in their beautiful country. And rightly so.