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**saralou** · #**646** 25 Dec 2014

It is amazing how in Brazil you can go 300-400 km in a day and it is all curves and incredible vistas!!

Tiradentes 59 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Tiradentes 61 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Tiradentes 63 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

**saralou** · #**647** 25 Dec 2014

After a pretty long day we arrived in Tiradentes, which is our first stop on the trail of Gold. It is one of the smallest and yet best-preserved colonial towns in the state of Minas Gervais. It has several 300 year old buildings including the gold filled Matriz church.

Tiradentes 71 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Tiradentes 69 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Tiradentes 70 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Tiradentes 74 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Joaquim Jose da Silva Xavier, known as Tiradentes was the leader of the Brazilian revolutionary movement whose aim was to achieve independence from Portuguese rule and create a Brazilian Republic.

Tiradentes 98 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Tiradentes 99 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

**saralou** · #**648** 25 Dec 2014

The small Posada we had booked was just outside the historic center. We walked over the cobbled streets and the “stone bridge” into the old city. This is a warren of steep coble streets lined with brightly colored buildings.

Tiradentes 75 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Tiradentes 76 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Tiradentes 72 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Tiradentes 73 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Tiradentes 82 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Tiradentes 83 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Tiradentes 85 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Tiradentes 104 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Tiradentes 84 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Tiradentes 78 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Tiradentes 79 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Tiradentes 93 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on

**saralou** · #**649** 25 Dec 2014

At the top of the hill is the Matriz church with a panoramic view of the valley and the Serra or ridge. This town must be packed with tourists at the weekend judging by the number of places to stay, but on a Tuesday it was fairly quiet.

Tiradentes 81 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Tiradentes 77 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Tiradentes 89 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Tiradentes 86 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Tiradentes 88 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Tiradentes 92 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

**saralou** · #**650** 25 Dec 2014

Today we headed north and west again for another 187 km of winding roads with stunning scenery to Ouro Preto.

Screen Shot 2014-12-17 at 9.42.46 PM by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Leaving Tiradentes we took the back way thru Prados. This way is partly cobbles and partly packed red dirt.

Screen Shot 2014-12-17 at 9.43.20 PM by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Ouro Preto 3 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Ouro Preto 4 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Ouro Preto 5 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Ouro Preto 7 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Ouro Preto 8 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Ouro Preto 9 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Ouro Preto 10 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

**saralou** · #**651** 25 Dec 2014

We are going to one of the most visited places in Brazil the city of Ouro Preto. It is one of Brazil’s best-preserved colonial towns and is a UNESCO site. Ouro Preto means “black gold” and was founded in 1698 as the center of the gold rush and in 1720 it became the state capital ( it had been nearby Mariana). In 1750 it had over 110,000 people making it one of the largest cities in the Americas. At the time it had twice the population of NCY and five times more than the now massive Rio de Janeiro.

All this lead to the city being the site of the first uprising for independence from Portuguese rule. The revolt was lead by Tiradentes in 1789 after he realized how much of the region’s gold was going straight onto boats to Portugal. The revolt failed and Tiradentes was arrested and dismembered. His body parts were then displayed along the road to Rio. His head was placed in what is now known as Praca Tiradentes or the main square.

Ouro Preto 21 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Ouro Preto 19 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Ouro Preto 20 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Ouro Preto 36 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

**saralou** · #**652** 25 Dec 2014

By the end of the 19 th century the gold had run out and the population plummeted. Because of this there was a lack of new consruction and thus the colonial architecture was preserved. Restoration began in the 1950 and still continues.

Ouro Preto 23 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Ouro Preto 22 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Ouro Preto 24 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Ouro Preto 26 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Ouro Preto 27 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Ouro Preto 29 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

**saralou** · #**653** 25 Dec 2014

The draw here for tourists is the architecture and especially the churches. They contain many carved sculptures by Antonio Fracisco Lisboa or Aleijadinho (little cripple), who is one of the countries most famous artists. He was a master of the "baroque", but was slowly disabled and probably by leprosy. When he lost his fingers he is said to have strapped tools to his hands.

Ouro Preto 37 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Ouro Preto 91 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Ouro Preto 92 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Ouro Preto 93 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Ouro Preto 95 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Ouro Preto 97 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Ouro Preto 98 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

**saralou** · #**654** 25 Dec 2014

The view of this small city is stunning. We stayed on the hillside opposite to enjoy the view and avoid too much driving on the very steep windy streets some of which have very large cobbles. A few of the little alleyway streets are at an incredible angle and are very rough. We did however ride over to the main or Tirandentes square and then explore the city on foot. There is a church in almost every direction you look.

Ouro Preto 32 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Ouro Preto 61 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Ouro Preto 63 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Ouro Preto 35 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Ouro Preto 30 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Ouro Preto 39 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Ouro Preto 42 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Ouro Preto 40 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Ouro Preto 41 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Ouro Preto 43 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Ouro Preto 44 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Ouro Preto 45 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Ouro Preto 60 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

**saralou** · #**655** 25 Dec 2014

We then rode up to the top of the hill to the ruins of the church there.

Ouro Preto 103 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Ouro Preto 101 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Ouro Preto 52 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Ouro Preto 47 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Ouro Preto 54 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Ouro Preto 55 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Ouro Preto 53 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Ouro Preto 48 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Ouro Preto 49 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Ouro Preto 50 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Ouro Preto 51 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Ouro Preto 56 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Ouro Preto 59 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

**saralou** · #**656** 25 Dec 2014

There was a small bar just before you enter the old city and the small square across the street was crammed with tables and people. This was the action spot on a Wednesday night. Here we enjoyed some

and food and the local style of Karaoke with different guys playing the guitar and singing. The bar is the new gold mine here.

Ouro Preto 66 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Ouro Preto 64 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

**saralou** · #**657** 25 Dec 2014

Today we visited on of the old mines. This was about 1.2 km walk, but lucking not all up hill. The Cathedral in under renovation.

Ouro Preto 67 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

This mine’s tunnels and hand forged. The conditions for working here were unpleasant with the low roofs and the noise must have been incredible. Chico Rei or King Chico was another legendary person in Ouro Preto. The story is that he was an African King that was captured and enslaved to work in the gold mine. He apparently stashed small pieces of gold in his hair and saved enough to buy his own freedom and then the mine itself. He used the profits of the mine to buy the freedom of all the slaves.

Ouro Preto 69 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Ouro Preto 82 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Ouro Preto 85 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Ouro Preto 70 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Ouro Preto 71 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Ouro Preto 72 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Ouro Preto 74 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Ouro Preto 78 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Ouro Preto 80 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Ouro Preto 81 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Ouro Preto 88 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

**saralou** · #**658** 25 Dec 2014

In the afternoon we rode to the nearby town of Mariana, which like Ouro Preto is colonial and there are many churches.

Screen Shot 2014-12-18 at 12.39.01 PM by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

The difference is the lack of tourists. Here also there are steep cobbled streets. You can visit the Cathedral for about a dollar and climb to the bell tower.

Ouro Preto 120 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Ouro Preto 105 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Ouro Preto 106 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Ouro Preto 107 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Ouro Preto 111 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Ouro Preto 109 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Ouro Preto 112 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Ouro Preto 113 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Ouro Preto 114 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Ouro Preto 115 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Ouro Preto 116 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

The hot trend in Brazil right now is Acai slush!

Ouro Preto 117 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Ouro Preto 118 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

**saralou** · #**659** 25 Dec 2014

We left Ouro Preto and again went north on the curvy mountain roads to the city of Diamantina, which in the 17 th century was part of the gold and diamond rush. It is also UNESCO site.

Screen Shot 2014-12-17 at 9.45.04 PM by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Diamentina 4 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

Diamentina 6 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr

On route you pass a lot of open mines.

Diamentina 5 by Worldwide Ride.ca, on Flickr