Arriving to Belo Horizonte, we were supposed to be at a Couchsurf for these two nights but unfortunately it didn’t work out due to the host’s schedule and distance from the center. Instead, we settled into a hostel called Home Center for $21 a night. We were grateful to have a private room because it was crawling with college students.
And, we were very happy to be near the center because it gave us access to meals like this mouth-watering Lebanese one, which cost $7.50/each.
The palm-lined Liberty Plaza was one of the many lovely places we found to walk in Belo Horizonte, or Beaga, as the locals call it.
The Basilica Nossa Senhora de Lourdes is an impressive cathedral that brings together the architectural styles throughout Minas Gerais.
The first stoplight in Belo Horizonte dates from 1929. In the photo we also captured a VW van which seem rampant around Brazil. Van life is certainly a thing here. The city also cutely provides amusing and custom crosswalk signals. This one is modeled after the Liberty Palace only a few steps away. So fun!
See the resemblance? This neo-classical 19th century palace has guided tours of its lavish interiors. The crosswalk signal was enough excitement for us.
And another palace surely created for Barbie’s royal ancestors.
And yes, also a crosswalk signal to match.
One of Belo Horizonte’s most appealing spots we found was the Parque Municipal, which was a sprawling sea of tropical green space featuring winding paths, fountains, kiddy rides, ponds and fountains.
Despite it being a Friday, there wasn’t a lot of activity. This fun worm seemed to be happy to have some down time.
A pond in the middle surrounded by buildings has an aura a bit reminiscent of Central Park.
It was interesting to see a blend of palm and pine.
The historic train station is naturally now a museum. Because why would anyone in the Americas use their rail networks?
The city is ringed by mountains but due to the sprawl it’s a bit hard to know this most of the time.
The Mercado Central is a true opportunity to wander through the lives of locals. Many of them sit around drinking at 10 am, but we’ve noticed that even the drunks are very friendly in Brazil.
The stalls seemed slightly familiar to a bazaar in Turkiye and are lined with a little bit of everything…
Although the cheeses were the most drool-worthy to us, as well as the long ribbons of honey satchels, dulce de leche and other sweet concoctions.
They also had deliciously fragrant spices, where we dumped the remainder of our Reais change in 100 grams of curry, one of the vital spices we always carry.
Packages of braided cheese…yes, some of it is hot pink.
Enjoying the sunshine our private balcony back at the hostel. The street alongside proudly echoed the sounds of the city, but at least it was a place to call our own.
Indeed…Hoosier Hospitality…in Brazil. 🤣
