Brazil

Brazil Travels: One Day Road Trip to Mariana – Ouro Preto

Posted on by Wing & Nguyen

Wing here.

As I wait here at the Ouro Preto rodoviaria or bus station (on free WiFi!!!), I figured I might go ahead and share how I spent my day in Mariana and Ouro Preto.

Located in the heart of Minas Gerais, Ouro Preto is a UNESCO site and home to one of the most prestigious universities in Brazil. It gets its name from its reputation for being a paradise for gold or ouro. Today, little gold remains in Ouro Preto, but it remains a very popular tourist spot in Brazil and one of Brazil’s biggest exporter of precious stones. (I think Minas Gerais, in general, is one of the world’s largest exporter of precious stones). Mariana is a small town right beside Ouro Preto and can be reached in 20 minutes by car.

Ouro Preto is approximately 2.5 hours away from Belo Horizonte by bus and around 9 hours by bus to Rio de Janeiro. (Yes, it’s going to be a long night for me…)

From Viçosa, it was only a 2.5 hr bus ride and costed me around R $35. Boarding the bus at 8:00AM, I managed to catch some more sleep before getting off at 10:45AM. Though it arrived 15 minutes late, this is actually a pretty good time considering that the bus will stop to pick up and drop off people in very small towns and literally at the side of the highway.

At the bus station in Mariana, a very kind man helped point me to the local bus (R $2.70) I needed to take to get downtown for the train station. Miraculously, I made it purely by asking, as my data was down due to my crappy phone. (See Brazil Tip #1 post)

Before taking the train, I went to the historical part of the town and toured some churches. Just beautiful. Due to Junina festivities, I also got to see some amazing life-sized floor “paintings” made out of coloured wood chips and shavings. Just beautiful.

However, since I was still carrying my 40L pack in 29*C weather, I couldn’t explore very much. I stopped by a self-service restaurant right in front of the tourist information Center and ate a great meal. (R$35 per kilo of food!)

And yes, I took a train to Ouro Preto. So to explain, even though there is a quick and easy bus service, there is an option to take the journey through a train catered to tourists. It’s called Trem da Vale. There are two options for the train. The first option is the Convencional fare, which is a cheaper fare, but you only see the view from a small window. The second more expensive option is the Panôramico or Panoramic fare. It is more expensive, but the view is amazing. There is also only one carriage that has panoramic windows, so be sure to book early if you would like that.

Today, all tickets were at half-price due to the holiday tomorrow. Luckily, despite the demand, I managed to snag one of three remaining tickets. I also managed to sit by myself since people often buy in pairs. (Double win!)

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Trem da Vale with panoramic windows (on left) and Mariana Train Station (on right)

The train ride lasts for about an hour and you have the chance to reconfigure the seats to sit in groups of four.

After the train ride, I took a local city bus to the Ouro Preto bus station to buy my ticket back to Rio de Janeiro (R$91) and to drop off my luggage in the lockers. (Buy a token from the snack shop on the bottom level for R$11).

I then walked to the heart of the city, Praça de Tiradentes or Tiradentes Square. The walk takes around 10 minutes. Ouro Preto is so beautiful. It really deserves its reputation as a UNESCO site. But it is also extremely hilly and steep.

Bring running shoes and prepare to get sore calves if you aren’t used to climbing.

Praça Tiradentes

Hills. Hills. Hills!

Igreja São Francisco de Assis

Like in Mariana, I visited churches and also went to an outdoor market that sells one of Ouro Preto’s most famous souvenirs — soapstone goods. I’m hoping my mug makes it back to Canada in one piece!

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Feira da Pedra (Rocks’ Fair or Handicrafts’ Fair) where you can buy beautiful hand-carved and hand-painted goods. It’s right beside the São Francisco de Assis church!


Afterward, I went to a mining museum really close by to the Igreja da Inconfidencia. At first, I was skeptical because I followed a city tour guide into an obscure part of town. But, it turned out to be really amazing, and lots of people went. The tour guide started off by talking about Ouro Preto’s history of slavery and how the mines were operated completely on unfair and inhumane terms.

However, by studying how mines were created, the tour guide also mentioned the ingenuity of the slaves to get air circulating within the dark and damp mines. In total, the tour lasted 40 minutes. Be sure to take a jacket or a sweater with you into the mines because it does get quite cold (even for a Canadian like me!). Also, the tour is only available in Portuguese.

After the mines, I took a kombi or passenger van back to Tiradentes Square for R$5. I ended off my evening listening to smooth jazz over a hot cup of tea and eventually walked back to the rodoviaria. At 7:30PM, it was quite cold and dark, so taking a taxi would have been better. I was really frugal, however.

All in all, here are the costs of my trip:

Transportation:
Viçosa – Mariana: R$37
Trem da Vale: R$ 35
Ouro Preto – Rio de Janeiro: R$ 91
Kombi: R$ 5
Bus: $6~

Food:
Lunch: R$ 14
Dinner: R$ 20

Touristy stuff:
Souvenirs: R $65 (I bought something expensive!)
Museum: R $15

Other:
Luggage storage: R$ 11

Total: R$ 299 or $105 (CAD)

Brazil Tip # 2: Wag that finger!

Posted on by Wing & Nguyen

Wing here.

In North America, taking the bus is as simple as waiting at the bus stop, paying your fare, and getting on.

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Wag that finger! (Photo by Artem Bali on Pexels.com)

However, in Rio de Janeiro, when you want to catch the bus, it’s customary to stretch out your arm and wag your finger. I was taught this by my landlords. Initially, I did not believe it was necessary, but when I saw others doing it at the bus stop, I began doing it as well. Hahaha.

Regardless of whether you are at the bus stop on time or not, if you do not wag your finger, the bus drivers will not stop. Alternatively, I’ve tried wagging my finger on route to a bus stop and I was able to get on.

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This very same rule applies to taxis as well! If you see a taxi that is free or not in service, often indicated by the word “TAXI” lit in bright green lights, wag your index finger and the taxi driver will stop at any part of the road (no matter how busy it is!).

So, there you have it, if you found this to be interesting or relevant, leave some comments below!

Brazil Tip # 1: Smartphones

Posted on by Wing & Nguyen

Tip # 1: Feel free to bring your smartphone, but just be smart about it.

Wing here.

Right before I arrived in Brazil, my Portuguese teacher told me a horrifying story that had left me convinced that I should not bring my cell phone (or any precious belongings for that matter) to Brazil. She told me that there was once a passenger who was scrolling and playing on his cell phone on the bus in the middle of the day. When the bus stopped at a street light, the shiny cell phone caught the attention of a man loitering near the bus. What followed was that the man proceeded to pry open the window of the bus in order to grab the cellphone out of the hands of the passenger.

That story stuck with me for a long time and I ended up spending my first two months in Brazil using a 2013 Samsung S2 that I had resurrected, right before my trip, from the depths of my closet in my mom’s home in Toronto.

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Although I was peace knowing that I would not shed a tear upon its loss, the cell phone itself was a disaster. The cell phone kept on freezing and the GPS function was horrible. It could never locate its location despite my efforts to stay still and it had horrible reception. It was so old that I could not install even the simplest applications on it.

It wasn’t until I was completely stranded in Botafogo, in the middle of the night, and with no money, that I realized I needed to use a phone that could support Uber or other apps that could keep me safe.

Yes, and now you might be thinking: Why were you out in the middle of the night with no money? Well, that’s the transportation system for you and will be a story for another time. But long story short, I decided to take the bus home right after my Bible study because the bus stopped right outside my house. However, due to the fact that it was a holiday weekend, the bus did not come despite an hour’s wait. Of course, if I knew that, I would not have taken the bus. By the time I decided to take the Metro, the Metro was closed on account of the holidays. As a result, I was stranded with only my crappy cellphone and a transit card. In the end, I was lucky enough to find a taxi driver that let me pay him after I got home. Talk about trust (and God’s grace!), right?

Anyways, luckily, I had also brought the smartphone I use in Canada with me and I have been using it here since.

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Although my Portuguese teacher had the best intentions to warn me of what could potentially happen, I don’t know if I would give the same advice. Smartphones are indispensable in Rio de Janeiro. As the streets often wind here and there when you least expect it, you WILL need a phone and a strong GPS function to get you through.

Also! In Rio de Janeiro, buses do not display the name of the next stop and bus drivers are not accustomed to calling out the name of the stop. Therefore, a smartphone with a GPS function is a must for foreigners and tourists who wish to use Rio’s bus system.

Now, you might be thinking: What if my phone gets stolen? Isn’t Rio de Janeiro DANGEROUS? 

Well, here’s the thing. Everybody, and I mean everybody, has a smartphone here in Rio. People walk up and down the streets with them in hand, often times not giving a care to their surroundings. In fact, when I arrived, most people had a cell phone that was even newer and more advanced than my Canadian smartphone. Even most favela residents have smartphones! It’s really not as developing a country as most people think.

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See, someone playing on their phone!

However, with that said, thefts do happen. In fact, they happen a lot. It happens at parties, in heavily packed tourists attractions, at night, and sometimes, when you least expect it. However, it is safe to say that most of the thefts happen when you are visibly careless with your phone. If you leave your wallet or phone hanging out visibly in your pocket, you are marking yourself as an open target. However, if you are aware of your surroundings and of the belongings on your body, you will be just fine.

As such, don’t worry too much about looking at your phone in public. It’s really okay and actually, can be much needed sometimes!

Life Update + A new series: Brazil Tips

Posted on by Wing & Nguyen

It’s been nearly 1 year since we’ve posted anything — apologies!

Nguyen has been great with producing content, but has not been great at publishing it!! Babe, be confident and do it!

Since we last wrote, Nguyen successfully defended his Master’s degree and (by the grace of God), found a wonderful job at our university. As for myself, I successfully defended my comprehensive exams and am now living in Brazil for the next few months.

For me, Brazil is a paradise of all sorts. The food, the people, and the sights are amazing. There is nothing like it. From food stands to traditional dishes of black beans on rice, Brazil is heaven for food lovers.

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A typical ‘kilo’ or ‘self-service’ restaurant!

The people are equally amazing, full of fun but also kindness and patience. I have had so many troubles with communicating in Portuguese and people have gone to extreme lengths to help me understand.

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At Cristo Redentor, the view is astounding!!!

Lastly, Brazil is an urban wonder while simultaneously being a vast country of green. Rio de Janeiro, in particular, is incredible. If you ever get the chance to see the city from above, from hiking up landmarks such as the Cristo Redentor, mini-mountains such as Pão de Açucar, and forts like Forte Duque de Caixa, you will see that the city is built upon and around hills. It’s quite astounding!

However, life here has not been without its troubles. I have gotten so confused because of so many unwritten cultural rules and practices. Navigating life solely in a different language has been so difficult and at times, humiliating. Trying to meet people and attend talks has been hard. I don’t understand a lot of the times and the words just don’t come out as fluidly as they do in English. Sharing a long-distance relationship has been hard, if not excruciating at times, and it compounds on the loneliness sometimes.

Despite this, I’ve learned a lot about myself and also perhaps, about my humble roots. This experience has given me an understanding of how difficult it must have been for my parents to carve a new life in a completely foreign land with different values and customs. I’ve become more grateful lately I think. Haha.

Anyways, for the next little bit, I will be writing about my life lessons here in a series entitled “Brazil Tips”. Hopefully, you can learn a lot from them.

Abraços! (Hugs!)