I started choked. Again. I came here to find oxygen and another time world was overwhelmed me. I needed to move out from City of God where nobody saw God from many years and try to find Him somewhere else. And that was the best decision ever!

First I spend almost two hours to left Rio. Desperate and suffered from oxygen deficiency I paid 27 złoty (!!!) to hit suburbs. First driver, maybe I drove with her 20 minutes but after that she gave me big hug and a lot of kisses! If my hitchhiking here is starting like that can be only better J First night I spend on… chopper airstrip! I worried only about potential machine who could land in the middle of night and chop my tent on salad…

Around mountains and bushes. In the middle alone shop. And me – also alone. And nothing on the road during half hour (maybe aside from lizards and other animals)

“Play Love” because on love there is always Time and place. Even in the middle of nothing on Brazilian mountains.

My mobile hotel with private chopper airstrip

Next cars and pictures which wanted to take with me drivers when they heard what I want to do here. Finally I found Huemerson, man from outer space, I felt with him like with tourist guide – he even stopped to show me some special tree 🙂 and we drank best, fresh mandarin juice ever! And in that way, in rhythms of his amazing CDs, we drove together to Lafayete Conselheiro – city of thousand of barbers 🙂

“What? From Poland?! With tent? Through 3 Americas? I would go with you but unfortunately I have wife… But I have also big ground, gun and spade and nearest neighbor live few hundreds meters further… We’ll be in touch” 😀

There can be only one destination – horizon!

Huemerson – man with best CDs in car on the whole world. And lover of best, fresh squeezed mandarin. 0,5l for 4zł directly from plantation. Energetic bomb!

Lafayete Conselheiro it’s a city of thousands of barbers. Only on one street, on 100m I found 7 of this places. I felt strange when I walk there with my hairs – they all drooled and watched me like on sheep with they can trim. I remember Sweeny Todd from “The Demon Barber of Fleet Street” when he sing “I can guarantee the closest shave you’ll ever know”. One thing is obvious – I will never eat there pasty there 🙂 If you don’t know what I’m talking about watch that Tim Barton movie.

I’m going up, my backpack is heave as hell, I’m counting my steps as during trip through mountains, and suddenly… I see this! Keys in road in front of shop where you can duplicate your keys! Brilliant idea!

I’m going through city and suddenly I see… Jesus! Giant statue like that from Rio! I made a circle and another time I’m there? But no, these one is closer people, like between them, and people are much more smiling, there’re greetings each other on the streets, nobody is shouting, nobody screaming (first sign that I’m going in right direction to meet God). Did you ever slept under feet of Jesus? Me either so place for next night was obvious 🙂

I’m passing some building and suddenly… Jesus! High-five! Maybe he walked for fresh rolls for breakfast? Most important is that is much closer to people, among them, as opposed to this one from Rio which is far away. Theoretically he is but nobody feel that.

Another difference with that from Rio – this one have toes! True is that also have flat foot and toes looks like molds but there are! And it’s possible to open beer on them 🙂 (what someone tried because I saw signs of that)

The place for night could be only one 🙂 When I started my trip I worried to camp near houses, because someone can shout or something. Now, after month of my trip I don’t care about that. Near Jesus wake me up group of women who trained together with theirs coach. Their trained and I ate my breakfast next to them 🙂

That’s probably craziest police station that I ever saw. Carriage on piece of rails. The point is that in that place there was never rails because of hill. So they needed to put there rails and carriage… Brazil.

Handroanthus albus. They called it here ipê amarelo. Interesting tree which is blooming also in other colours (I saw also only in red)characteristic for state of Mina Gerais. I felt almost like in Poland during autumn 🙂

Next hitchhike with a boy who drove a giant building board, because of what we almost collapse on mountain summit when wind blow on side of our car. In Ouro Branco I felt in sweet lethargy.  It’s 38thousands city where people at 13 are buying beer with giant cup of Cachaca. And during meal butcher will cut for you piece of meat exactly which you will want, his wife will fry it for you will eat it and watch how customers are milling Brazilian coffee, and giant piece of meat on hook is waving in rhythms of local hits from small, old tv putted on five beers box. Under vigilant eyes of a little bit faded-out Jesus.

Faded-out Jesus, grinder, cloth for floor and meat on hook. Best which I ate here.

This country is redolent of coffee.  Fresh milled directly to bag. 500g for 8zł. So much happiness 🙂

In Lafayete I felt blow of fresh air. In Ouro Branco I knew that every place will be better than Rio. But in Ouro Preto my sail were full of sunny wind, and I was full of oxygen (like in hyperbaric room). That’s place with you MUST see in Brazil. Forget about Rio and come just here. What is this place?

Ouro Preto (Black Gold) it’s a first Brazilian city putted on World Heritage Site of UNESCO full of baroque. On 1179m over the sea now have around 69 thousand of citizen but 300 years ago had more people than Rio and New York! Why they came here? It’s obvious – gold! That city laid in the middle of national park where you can find not only over one hundred of waterfalls but also few gold mines. Because it’s classical mines, mount city everywhere is up hill (even if you’re going down you are going up 😀 ). All this place is a giant vantage point because from absolutely every hill is breathtaking view and ride in historical train to another villages make blow mind. Colorful, small homes covered by red roof tiles and a lot of architecture details, museums full of geological oddities, and what is most important absurdly number of church! 34 small and big church and chapels in great shape are almost touching each other. In that small city are two universities so streets are full of students and artists. On every street small, opened workshops where artists are making amazing things from wood, metal and stone, and painters who are making so beautiful pictures that every gallery can put it on wall. And everything of that is sunken in sounds of mandolin, flute and guitar of musicians who are playing on roofs not for money but to give a pleasure for citizens and tourists. There is also theater and cinema, where you can watch movie for free!

That’s square with view! In that building with clock now is museum of independence but many years so that was… prison! Can you imagine prisons who are living in that palace?

Railway station which is connecting other villages since 128 years.

Up…

Down and up… Down…

And another time up 🙂

City of thousand and one church…

…million red roof tiles…

… tens of artist which you can peep during work…

…musicians who are playing in pubs, on streets and roofs…

… and one cinema where you can watch movie for free 🙂 Cinema where entrance to toilet is on projection room, so when you are in porcelain kingdom you can hear everything what is going on in the movie (and audience everything what’s going on in toilet).

But the most beautiful are people. They’re live in calm way (it’s difficult to live fast when you need to go up on this mountains 😀 ), always they will find a time to sit and get warm from the sun and small chat with other people. You just need to smile to start conversation. Probably it’s only place where you can hear arguing in butcher about philosophy and painting of Kadinsky 😀 That’s place where people are inviting strangers to theirs house and give them tea and homy cake. All doors looks like closed but their are widly opened for new ideas, values and peoples.

And what about my story here? I came late so after climbing on hilarious big mountain I spend first night on vantage point watching on the city like on giant mock-up with cars and people. To wake up, go outside the tent and see that king of view? I wish you that 🙂

On market square I talked with random craftsman and I gave them bottles of Cachaca witch I took from Rio (I don’t really know why). And that how I met Ernesto – conservator, painter and soldier of Brazilian army. But only thing what he can do during war is “to paint killed army”. I feel that he’s a man who knows everybody in that city and everybody knows him, so I also met a lot fantastic people that after one day I felt that I know all city and everybody are greeting me on the streets 😀 Like I live here since year! He organized for me place to sleep in one of students house so I doesn’t need to took all my staff (I like mountains but to sightsee that city with backpack is some absurd). And because Ernesto is know art and history like nobody else I can’t imagine best guide – we swim through next hills, churches, museums and unknown places and sometimes stop to meet know people, places witch cachaca with honey an limon (you need to try it!) or a gorilla in piece of jungle!

Ernesto – artist and soldier. Men, with who you can steal horses. I know city because of him, and whole city know me.

Cachaca with local honey and limon. Probably prepared by local farmer in near village. Do you think that anybody cares about concessions and licenses? They also don’t care about aestheticism during preparing label but most important is that it’s very tasty 🙂

During our trip through city we found piece of jungle. Inside there is one gorilla. So… there is any other way around?

Thanks God we had shadow also under more likely trees…

To close road to make Italian day or whole night jazz concert? Why not! Crazy right on pick-up through hills to catch a falling stars? Let’s do it! Quick learn how to jungle of machete? Only with just know juggler and after two Cachacas (I couldn’t do it completely sober 🙂 ). Something about Cachaca – to buy two litres of that in glas bottle with cork coiled in newspaper? Only here 🙂

We’re closing road and play! Best jazz gig ever!

That place is pulls people from all over the world. “Papaczo” Argentinian , owner of small factory with beer and craftsman who is binding stones which he’s founding in mountains. Men with incredible laugh. I met there also other couple from Argentina who are travelling like me 2,5 years around South America, guys from France, USA, Chile and group from Austria.

First time in my life completely strange people on the streets, markets etc asked me to take together photo. Like a small monkey in zoo. But as you can see I haven’t reasons to say no 🙂

City full of sun, churches, art and since and open people. I think that statue of Jesus in Rio is only to sidetrack of that God is no more there and he left to Ouro Preto. Only during few days I met here a lot friends and I feel that all city know me 🙂 that’s way saying goodbye was so difficult, but I need to go back to Rio to say where they can find God.