5.3.2012. While we were in Ouro Preto we met an Aussie couple who had jacked their jobs to travel. Nice people and we wished them well on their travels when we left. Since leaving Ouro Preto we have been to Belo Horizonte and Petropolis and then to Paraty. On our last day in Paraty we were sat on the beach reading when who should walk by? It’s a small world. It seems we were leaving on the same bus the next day to Sao Paulo. We needed some cash so went to th...

2.3.12. It was a four hour bus journey through some beautiful country to get from Petropolis to Paraty. Paraty is described as a quaint, picturesque historic town by the sea. We got off the bus knowing that our Pousada (hotel) was only a very short walk away. In keeping with all Brazilian bus stations it is noisy and looks chaotic. We walked out onto the street with our very heavy rucksacks on our backs. Our mate Dave had said "the bigger the rucksack, th...

28.2.2012. So here we are in Petropolis. It is a mountain town about 1.5 hours out of Rio. By all accounts it's a very affluent place. We originally decided to come here so we could do a 3 day hike into the nearby mountains. Unfortunately the guide companies all said they couldn't do it as the weather is too unpredictable at this time of year. They said the rain can get very heavy in the mountains and electric storms are common and dangerous. On our first day h...

27.2.2012. Lonely Planet describes Belo Horizonte as a faceless concrete jungle. Although it does have 100's of great restaurants and several with Michelin stars. Not that we can afford them. One of the problems with booking in a foreign city is that there is no way of knowing if your hotel is in their version of Westminster or Tower Hamlets. Our hotel was quite nice but it was only 10 minutes walk from the main bus station so the area didn't look great. During...

25.12.2012. The second day in Ouro Preto dawned. Although our room in the hostel is very basic we got a good nights sleep. There had been a bit of noise the previous evening but everyone seemed to respect the 10pm quiet curfew. Even the local dog stopped barking pretty much on queue. The hostel has a well equipped kitchen which is exposed to the outside world with a straw roof. Next to it is a dining area and TV lounge with lovely views of the mountains. Breakf...