http://picasaweb.google.com/neesha.chris/MinasGerais#
Ouro Preto
Portuguese architecture with a Brazilian flair, almost the best food in Brazil, our first hostel experience, and sick Brian. See the pictures.
Belo Horizonte
Two days turned to three and then a week. Thats how good Bay Agah is. Come first for the people. Then the food and music. They also have the good view, Oscar Niemeyer architecture... and the saideira.
Tuesday night- Mauricio, the epitome of Mineira hospitality took us straight from the rodoviaria to crazy tuesday with the CS group. Learned 1. how to fazer um joia! 2. that to insult the opposing football team call them married and you can counteract that with saying that they are not the men in the relationship! Saideira was at 2am.
Wednesday. Chale Mineira was where we began to learn about all that makes up the Mineira food. I shall spare you the gory details. Must try everything once right!
We shopped for the first time on our trip in Mercado Central! Cachaca, handicrafts, citronella candle. I had to stop myself or I'd buy all of this Brazilian crawford market.
Brian went to another football match at the Mineirao and learned how to swear and boo at the referees and opposing teams that are not even playing in that match!
I did a class with Capoeira Gerais, very sweet small group (in the class at least) who have a huge space beautifully done up. Missed meeting their Mestre/ Contre Mestre. Actually I'm really glad there's not so much capoeira in India because then Baba would be gone a lot! Their technique is slightly different but its the first non CDO regional class that I've been to.
Back to the CS group. Post a not so well received "free reception" they had a wonderful dinner (hosted by Andre, cooked by Juliana, thanks to them and all the others who brought beer and conversation! Saideira at 3am.
Thursday. The best Frango Molho Pardo (Chicken in brown sauce) at Maria das Trancas followed by a visit to Oscar Niemeyers controversial church- St Francisco de Assisi. We had brunch so late that we landed there 5 mins after it closed for the day. Fortunately we could still see inside. For tea, we had the strongest Chimarrao with Mauricio's neighbour- Estevao (15x more caffeine than coffee) while waiting for Mauricio's band members to arrive. Cooked a snack of chaat flavoured veggies with imli chutney. We didnt catch any forro that night (for me to dance to) but at A Casa they had fantastic samba-choro-jazz music. We probably were the only people there that didnt have an instrument with us or who couldnt go up and jam with them! Saideira at 2am.
Friday. We had to leave in the evening. So we headed out to try more Mineira cuisine. The Mineira hospitality in full force- Careca o Pescador (Baldy the fisherman) opened up the restaurant for lunch just for us. Cooked us delicious Traira and lambari (a huge fish filet and tiny fish- all river water) and gifted us the quintessially brazilian protection from heat- camisinha - beer "condom" AND a bottle of cachaca. Brian decided there and then that we could give up the Pantanal to stay here.
You can cancel/change bus tickets upto 6 hours before departure. We landed at the bus station 15 minutes before. Guess what! Jorge at the counter recognised me and remembered my name. Making use of a glitch in the system, we cancelled our tickets 5 minutes before, losing only 5% of the ticket!
Saideira that night was at 4am post a heavy Brazilian discussion of politics, or rather anarchy!
Saturday. Tiragostos- snacks accompanying drinks- (removing taste) from the time when people used to eat something to mask the taste of really bad cachaca. We celebrated with beer at one of Mauricio's cousin's bachelor parties. (Before he gets married he'll have had several!). Saideira 5 pm. We finally saw the beautiful horizon from Mangabeiras before our first early night in! Learned that all the botecos (neighbourhood bars) have names that you can play with- the office, in the ass - so theres always jokes flying around.
Sunday. Neesha went mad at yet another fair. Finally found a capoeira roda in Brazil for Brian to watch. I think he was happy Neesha wasnt in it! I know she was! It suddenly turned violent and the mestre had to call for respect before he restarted it. Still, I think it was a good call to stop it after a petite girl landed a kick that broke the gunga.
Mauricio and his wonderful (and entertaining) band played his compositions from Ventania no Cerrado. After that, I'm hoping to find a way to bring them to play in India.
Monday. After a morning of chores I finally went to the CDO class in BH. Only just met CM- Fuinha but saw and did bits of classes with Curupirim, Neginha and Caleb. I shall make it a point the next time to first head to CDO and then other schools, its just that much easier. Saw some more live music- MPB or Brasilian popular music- by independent artist Elisa Paraiso.
You must have figured out what Saideira is by now!
Ouro Preto
Portuguese architecture with a Brazilian flair, almost the best food in Brazil, our first hostel experience, and sick Brian. See the pictures.
Belo Horizonte
Two days turned to three and then a week. Thats how good Bay Agah is. Come first for the people. Then the food and music. They also have the good view, Oscar Niemeyer architecture... and the saideira.
Tuesday night- Mauricio, the epitome of Mineira hospitality took us straight from the rodoviaria to crazy tuesday with the CS group. Learned 1. how to fazer um joia! 2. that to insult the opposing football team call them married and you can counteract that with saying that they are not the men in the relationship! Saideira was at 2am.
Wednesday. Chale Mineira was where we began to learn about all that makes up the Mineira food. I shall spare you the gory details. Must try everything once right!
We shopped for the first time on our trip in Mercado Central! Cachaca, handicrafts, citronella candle. I had to stop myself or I'd buy all of this Brazilian crawford market.
Brian went to another football match at the Mineirao and learned how to swear and boo at the referees and opposing teams that are not even playing in that match!
I did a class with Capoeira Gerais, very sweet small group (in the class at least) who have a huge space beautifully done up. Missed meeting their Mestre/ Contre Mestre. Actually I'm really glad there's not so much capoeira in India because then Baba would be gone a lot! Their technique is slightly different but its the first non CDO regional class that I've been to.
Back to the CS group. Post a not so well received "free reception" they had a wonderful dinner (hosted by Andre, cooked by Juliana, thanks to them and all the others who brought beer and conversation! Saideira at 3am.
Thursday. The best Frango Molho Pardo (Chicken in brown sauce) at Maria das Trancas followed by a visit to Oscar Niemeyers controversial church- St Francisco de Assisi. We had brunch so late that we landed there 5 mins after it closed for the day. Fortunately we could still see inside. For tea, we had the strongest Chimarrao with Mauricio's neighbour- Estevao (15x more caffeine than coffee) while waiting for Mauricio's band members to arrive. Cooked a snack of chaat flavoured veggies with imli chutney. We didnt catch any forro that night (for me to dance to) but at A Casa they had fantastic samba-choro-jazz music. We probably were the only people there that didnt have an instrument with us or who couldnt go up and jam with them! Saideira at 2am.
Friday. We had to leave in the evening. So we headed out to try more Mineira cuisine. The Mineira hospitality in full force- Careca o Pescador (Baldy the fisherman) opened up the restaurant for lunch just for us. Cooked us delicious Traira and lambari (a huge fish filet and tiny fish- all river water) and gifted us the quintessially brazilian protection from heat- camisinha - beer "condom" AND a bottle of cachaca. Brian decided there and then that we could give up the Pantanal to stay here.
You can cancel/change bus tickets upto 6 hours before departure. We landed at the bus station 15 minutes before. Guess what! Jorge at the counter recognised me and remembered my name. Making use of a glitch in the system, we cancelled our tickets 5 minutes before, losing only 5% of the ticket!
Saideira that night was at 4am post a heavy Brazilian discussion of politics, or rather anarchy!
Saturday. Tiragostos- snacks accompanying drinks- (removing taste) from the time when people used to eat something to mask the taste of really bad cachaca. We celebrated with beer at one of Mauricio's cousin's bachelor parties. (Before he gets married he'll have had several!). Saideira 5 pm. We finally saw the beautiful horizon from Mangabeiras before our first early night in! Learned that all the botecos (neighbourhood bars) have names that you can play with- the office, in the ass - so theres always jokes flying around.
Sunday. Neesha went mad at yet another fair. Finally found a capoeira roda in Brazil for Brian to watch. I think he was happy Neesha wasnt in it! I know she was! It suddenly turned violent and the mestre had to call for respect before he restarted it. Still, I think it was a good call to stop it after a petite girl landed a kick that broke the gunga.
Mauricio and his wonderful (and entertaining) band played his compositions from Ventania no Cerrado. After that, I'm hoping to find a way to bring them to play in India.
Monday. After a morning of chores I finally went to the CDO class in BH. Only just met CM- Fuinha but saw and did bits of classes with Curupirim, Neginha and Caleb. I shall make it a point the next time to first head to CDO and then other schools, its just that much easier. Saw some more live music- MPB or Brasilian popular music- by independent artist Elisa Paraiso.
You must have figured out what Saideira is by now!
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