Sunday, 27 January 2019
Belo Horizonte, Brasil
Pleasant morning perusing the local market which sells anything and everything. You’ll recall from yesterday’s blog that Minas Gerais is known for its cheese. Plenty of cheese stalls here. Great atmosphere and lots of people milling about.
Stop off at Praca do Papa. A high point in the city of Belo Horizonte. The views are stunning. Makes you realise how mountainous the city centre actually is. A large steel cross is installed at the view point and a group of young people encircle it holding hands. Singing and praying.
Drive through the cobbled backstreets to an excellent restaurant for lunch, Coco Bamboo. Highly recommended if you ever find yourself in BH.
Leave BH just before 1500hrs. It’s a 1hr drive to the Lapinha Caves. Which shut at 1600hrs. Can they do it.
Yes. They can.
Arrive just as the final tour group is walking towards the cave entrance. After a bit of pleading, we’re let in. Cave system is very good. Such is the health and safety, have to wear hard hats. Both used to wearing hard hats working on construction projects. But not with hygienic hair nets.
The area is well known for its caves. Inside, a large pool of a black substance on the floor denotes bats. Big juicy bats. Which can be seen hanging from the roof above. Ornate swirls of blue hued rock and what look like cauliflowers formed over thousands of years.
Dropped off at the airport hotel. Very early flight tomorrow so makes sense to stay here rather than BH, an hour away.
And say goodbye to Miss Brasil.
Don’t like goodbyes.
