Serra da Piedade and Ouro Preto

As I grow older and live in more places,  I become more familiar I with the fact that living somewhere is vastly different from visiting.

When you are visiting somewhere, you are in the tourist mentality – your time is limited.  When I went to São Paulo earlier this month, I was waking up early and running around the city every day of my trip.  Why?  Because, well, I was in vacation mode.  Who knew when I was going to come back?   I only had a few days to explore everything the city had to offer!

I have been in Belo Horizonte for nearly 5 months, living.  The worst thing about living somewhere is the fact that you develop a routine.  The first period (a few weeks to a month) of your time spent living somewhere is called the “honeymoon” period because everything is still new.  You still appreciate everything as a tourist.  After this phase, you start to accept you are living somewhere relatively long-term and your day-to-day life becomes a dreary broken tape on repeat.  This has happened many times to me before, such as when I moved to Boston.  I love it here in Belo Horizonte, don’t get me wrong – I just hate the idea of being stuck in a routine when in reality there is so much to do.

I did not realize realize how stuck I was in a routine until I checked my calendar and realized I only had a month left in Brazil – that hit me like a load of bricks.

Since then, I have transformed my perspective.   Yes, I am still working both of my jobs, but I am now striving to use my free time more wisely opposed to watching Netflix and eating the same food every day.  

Two Fridays ago, I wrote in my journal (inspired by a few friends who did something similar) detailing my “Minas Gerais Bucket List.”  Minas Gerais is the state I live in.  In this list, I have included upwards of 80 restaurants, botecos, towns, and natural wonders that I am determined to explore before leaving Brazil.

So far, I have been pretty successful.

On that Saturday after work, I grabbed my friends Lucas and Paulo and we took an hour-long bus ride out of the city to Serra da Piedade.  This mountain is a tourist attraction for its natural beauty as well as the famous church, Nossa Senhora da Piedade, which lies at its peak. 

 What we did not know was that the bus was only going to take us to the foot of the mountain and we would have to find our own way to climb it.  Yikes.

There were 2 options:

1.        We could walk up the zig-zagging 5 kilometer road until we reached the top.

2.        I noticed a shortcut that would take us directly to the top through climbing the mountain itself.

I convinced Paulo and Lucas to go through with option 2 with me, I was not about walking 5 kilometers on a winding road.  

I was the leader of the group as we ascended the mountain on foot.  We climbed through bushes, navigated around cacti, and scaled rocks for upwards of an hour.  The trail was not extremely clear so our course itself was not too straight-forward.  However, we kept finding rouge beer bottles along the way which assured us that someone, at some time, had made the same journey.  Did I mention I was wearing flip-flops?

The view was spectacular by the way.

Once we reached the top, an hour later, it was time to relax.  Luckily, there were water fountains and a restaurant to greet us once we arrived.  The restaurant had unfortunately closed for lunch but they allowed us to take some pastries and cheeses for a whopping $4.  From the restaurant, we could see panoramic views of the countryside.

After leaving the restaurant, we took a footpath up to Nossa Senhora da Piedade.  The church was very beautiful and overlooked the valleys below. 

 However, I could not take pictures from within the church.  Also at the top of the mountain were hidden crypts and an observation deck to view the scene below.  The reward we received at the top of the mountain was well worth the trek, but as they always say – the fun is in the journey.

None of us were exactly thrilled about the prospects of hiking back down the mountain. It would take at least another tiring hour.  Instead of risking it, a few of us approached a tour bus and asked if they would shuttle us down to the bottom.  The nice leader agreed and we hopped on the bus – standing in the aisle.  It turns out the bus was a Christian tour bus for the elderly!  The entire way down, everyone prayed and sang Christian hymns in Portuguese.  I received some weird stares for not knowing the lyrics.  A woman with a thick Carioca (Rio de Janeiro) accent next to me told me “Well, now it’s a good time for you to learn!”

We eventually reached the bottom and thanked everyone for the ride.  Then we were stuck waiting at the bus stop, in the cold, for about 45 minutes.  There was no civilization in sight and only one of us had cell phone reception.  A rogue dog joined us at the bus stop and kept us company.  Unfortunately, we were not able to take him home with us.

Once we arrived back in Belo Horizonte, we took the metro to Santa Tereza, a neighborhood on my list that I had never visited.  Here, there was a boteco called “Fundos da Floresta.”  It was a mystical fairytale themed restaurant set in a forest in which the waitresses were dressed as fairies, there were mushrooms everywhere, and pixies were flying around.  We decided to order a few plates to share, which the menu touted, were “magical.”  These included fried biscuits with cauliflower, carrots, and peas (which were actually very good), and fried mandioca.  Mandioca is a root-based plant which resembles potatoes.  On the side, we ordered a “Fairy Nectar” drink to share which had a bunch of crazy ingredients that I do not remember.  However, there was chocolate.

After the restaurant, we all went home.  I, in fact, needed to prepare for the next day.

On Sunday, I woke up at 7:30am to meet my friend Camila at the bus station.  We were destined to go to Ouro Preto, one of the former capitals of Brazil.  Today, Ouro Preto is visited by tourists from all over the world coming to enjoy its natural beauty and clean golden colonial baroque-inspired town environment.  Ouro Preto means “Black Gold” in Portuguese by the way; this gives you a clue as to why the Portuguese settled here so soon.  It was once the richest city in the New World.  

After a two hour bus ride into the countryside, we arrived at the Ouro Preto bus station.  

As we stepped out of the bus station and into the brisk morning, we wondered where was the right place to start out adventure here in Ouro Preto.

Perhaps the giant church right in front of our faces?

This church was named Nossa Senhora das Mercês.  We walked around to the other side and found an incredible view of the city down below.  Unfortunately, the doors to the church were bolted shut so we were not allowed to enter.

In search of more information, we asked some women standing nearby the church about its history and its name.  A nice old lady, a self-proclaimed “born and raised” in Ouro Preto “gal,” came over to us and overloaded us with rich information about the history of the church and the city of Ouro Preto.

“Hey I’m heading into town to do some errands, would you both like to come with me?”

We followed her down towards the city center as she told us about what life was like growing up in Brazil’s former capital and social issues she continues to experience as an Afro-Brazilian woman.  

When we reached another central plaza with yet another panoramic view of Ouro Preto’s beauty, it was time to bid our new friend farewell.  She gave us each a hug and a kiss on the cheek before telling us to, if we ever come back to Ouro Preto, mention her name to someone on the street so she can find us and accommodate us.

We relaxed in this plaza for a view minutes, taking in the view, before deciding it was time for breakfast.  We had only eaten a pão de queijo before our 2-hour bus ride so the hunger was definitely starting to settle in.

Once we entered the main square, Praça Tiradentes, I immediately found somewhere that suited my interest.  “Chocolates Ouro Preto”  Yes, the word “Chocolates” was the buzzword that triggered my interest.

The kind hostess told us we could sit where we liked, so Camila and I found a nice vacant table in the center kind-of near a window with a view of the cobblestone street below.  

The menu was intimidating.  I wanted to order everything.  However, I was on a budget and I was also not trying to gain 100 pounds on a day trip, you know?

I settled with a traditional hot chocolate as a beverage, accompanied by Broa de Milho.  Camila told me that this form of corn bread was typical of the region we were in.  Update: It tasted amazing.

After enjoying our breakfast, we headed to Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Carmo.  This church was only a two minute walk up the road. We paid a quick entrance fee and took a stroll around the church.  Finished in 1772, the final product was gigantic, extravagant, and well – beautiful.  We walked through the mass area, the chapel, the altars, and everything else!  Camila also told me that back in the day, Brazilians were buried underneath the floorboards of the church.  Once the smell began to interfere with church services, the churches decided to build graveyards next door in order to move the bodies to a more secure location.  Because of this, about every church in Ouro Preto has a cemetery alongside it.

After leaving this church, we headed next door the Museum of Oratories.

This is where I learned something completely new.  Oratories, back in the days of colonial Brazil, were statues that families carried with them on their journeys for prayer.   Richer families tended to have larger, more extravagant oratories.  Poorer families, especially of African origin, generally constructed smaller oratories of cheaper material.

The museum had three floors of oratories and I found it extremely interesting to behold the different sizes, shapes, colors, and materials which composed each work.  Some of them were so large that it was impossible to imagine that someone would carry it on such a long journey!

After the Oratory Museum, Camila and I advanced to the Museum of the Inconfidentes.  The Inconfidentes are the rebels who were not confident in the Portuguese rule of Brazil during the colonial era and favored separation.  In this museum we found many cultural artifacts, oratories, and weapons from the era.

If you have not understood this yet, Ouro Preto is essentially full of museums and churches.  We were determined to visit all of them – or at least most.  We proceeded out of the main square down a side street to find Casa dos Contos.

In 1784, it was originally established as a center for tax collection.  Later on, it became a prison for the Inconfidentes and the headquarters of the Administration and Public Accountability of Minas Gerais.  Today, it is a museum which houses historical documents pertaining to Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, and Brazil as a whole.  In addition, it houses old coins and banknotes which date back to the founding of Brazil.  As an avid coin collector, I found this part pretty interesting.  

Afterwards, we decided to head further down into the city.  If you have not understood this by now, Ouro Preto is a city of hills – a lot of them.  We entered at the top, and to get around the city we have to constantly go up and down cobblestone-lined hills and turn along historic side streets.

Camila pointed at a sign which stated we could take “historic photos” for 10 reais each.  Why not?

We walked into the store where they were making the offer and the attendant dressed us both in colonial Brazilian clothing from head to toe.  This was the result:

Of course, we walked into yet another church.  Basílica de Nossa Senhora do Pilar.  Funny thing, one of my housemates was baptized here.  The church was probably my favorite one yet.  It was completely filled with gold and beautiful art designs from the walls to the ceilings.  A nice tour guide decided to give us a complimentary tour of the facilities and we left him a nice tip at the end.

Hunger returned yet again, and Camila and I journeyed back into Praça Tiradentes and descended into a basement to find an Italian-inspired Mineiro restaurant.  The waiter, around my age and wearing boardshorts, did not seem like he was from Ouro Preto. We talked a bit and I found out he was from Recife!  We talked about how amazing Recife was and he mentioned how he was already planning to move back.  After he served us our food, he threw on some old 80’s rock music and left Camila and I to our meal.  

Camila explained to me how on Sundays, Ouro Preto has a famous artisan market.  Christmas gifts perhaps?  We went there and I bought basically everything.  I am not going to post pictures because… well… I do not want people knowing what gifts I got for them.  On a funny note, every time I bought something, the saleslady tried to get me to pay an extra 20 reais for a bottle of Jabuticaba-flavored cachaça (essentially Brazilian vodka).  I decided it was better to buy more permanent gifts – and not alcohol.  Call me boring.  

We looked to my list for places I wanted to hit in Ouro Preto and there were still a few left.  A few meters away, we were able to find Igreja de São Franciso de Assis.  However, we were not able to enter.  We then found a church nearby down the road.  But, the gate leading us to this road was locked!

Long story short, a homeless man nearby told us if he were us, he would just jump the fence.  So we did.  Camila and I hopped over the rock wall and scurried down the street to the unknown church.

The fence to the church, opened, has a large sign on it “Access forbidden.”  Well, I mean, the gate was open right?  So Camila and I entered the yard of the church anyways.  

We sat on a nearby rock wall, listened to the Brazilian country music blasting out of a nearby house, and tried to figure out what the name of the church was in front of us. There was no name or sign telling us what the church was.  We decided to ask Google.  

No luck.

All of the churches in Ouro Preto essentially look the same on the outside, so it was a lost cause.  

Camila and I then gazed at the panoramic views surrounding us.  I counted five churches within sight.  I do not think I have ever seen so many in my life in one place!  There was one on the very top of a gigantic hill.  We had no idea which one it was!

Camila googled “Igreja no alto de Ouro Preto” and we received our answer.  Igreja Matriz de Santa Efigênia.  This church was made for the slaves, and actually on my list. Unfortunately, there was no way we would be able to reach it before our bus left to Belo Horizonte.  I would have to come back next time!

We slowly made our way back up the hill, anticipating our last moments in Ouro Preto.  Not wanting to leave so quickly, we decided to stop at a local coffee shop to buy some coffee, tea, and desserts.

After leaving the coffee shop, we headed back up the hill to the bus station and enjoyed the sunset.  It was an amazing day in Ouro Preto, and I can only hope one day to come back!