Mar-2014
Tips for your one-day visit to Belo Horizonte
The clock on the bus says it’s 5 o’clock when the guy sitting behind me wakes me up. “chegamos” he says. I get out of the bus and pick up my backpack with a still very sleepy face. I wish the bus would have had arrived a bit later, because the city still looks sleepy too.
The sleeping city
The first thing I look for is a ticket-counter that sells bus tickets to Brasilia. That’s where I’m heading to (hopefully) tonight. I will have to sleep on the bus again, but that also means I’ll save some money on the hotel expenses!
Everything is still closed, but after about an hour the employees start showing up and I get to buy my ticket. $R 122 it will cost me (about €35,-) to get from Belo Horizonte to Brasilia with an executive bus – a normal bus ticket costs $R 119 by the way, so it’s worth paying 3 reals more to get a better seat! I’ll leave at about 9 in the evening, which means today I’ll have the entire day to explore the city of BH!
A couple of metro-stations further I reach the city center. Allot of people are walking around, some tiny bars full of people are already serving “cafe de amanha”, but most of the city is still asleep. Hm, where should I go to? Free Wi-fi anywhere, so that I can look up some hotspots to go to? Nope, nothing. I’ll just keep on walking then.
The nice boss
Then I enter a place that finally offers a quiet place for me to sit down. Not that I’m an old lady, but I just spent another night on the bus and it was a pretty short night too. So yes, I’m a bit tired. Anyway, a warm welcome is what I get once I enter the place and I decide to walk towards the counter. I’ve been trying to sort out the translations of the fruits so that I can order my favorite juice (strawberry and raspberry) and the boss, who has just walked into the store, wants to help me immediately as she sees that I’m struggling with my decision of which juice to order. Her name is Betamia and she is a local with a lot of patience and a good humor. I like this place because she explains me where I can go to today. I decide to follow her advise and enjoy the city.
Tips for a one-day visit
After a long day, here’s my list of things to-do within one day in Belo Horizonte.
- Have a fruit juice anywhere in town. Have one with Morango, it’s yummie!
- Relax on a bench at Plaça da Independencia. If you arrive to BH very early in the morning you can have a nap at the beautiful square of independence. Make sure the straps of your backpack or any other bag are attached to the bench (you know, just in case). You’ll want to lay on your bag anyway and use it as a pillow.
Praça da liberdade
- Visit the Memorial Minas Gerais Vale museum (entrance for free!) I really enjoyed this museums creativity. The only bad thing is (when you don’t speak the language) that all the descriptions and videos are in Portuguese. Open from 10am to 6pm. You can find this museum at the plaça de Independencia.
Memorial Minas Gerais Vale
- Visit the Museu das Minas e do Metal (entrance for free!) This museum teaches you anout the mines in Minas Gerais and shows quite some history! Open from 12am to 6pm. You can find this museum at the plaça de Independencia.
Museu das Minas e do Metal
- Have cake and coffee at Benzadeus cafe I know you won’t resist… and you won’t want to share (Rua da bahia, 1071).
Delicious cake and coffee!
- Visit the Parque Municipal. A beautiful park in the middle of the city. Good to walk a bit, read a book, stare at other people or to maybe write your thoughts down (Avenida Afonso Pena).
Parque Municipal
- Have a Brazilian dish at Assacabrasa
If you like to try local food then you should have one of the local meals Assacabrasa offers! Frango (chicken) with tropeiro is one of them. (Rua da Bahia,1759).
Typical Brazilian plate of chicken with tropeiro
Have you ever been to Belo Horizonte? Which places did you visit?
About Renate Rigters
Ever since I left my home country I felt at home at any other place I went to. I enjoy getting to know more cultures by talking to strangers and hearing their philosophy about life. Speaking with gestures when you can not find a shared language, finding places only the locals go to and learn about their customs and values. Hanging out with local people makes me happy. The experience of every new place is a step out of your comfort zone where I like to wander around until it feels like a second home.
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I’m from Minas Gerais
Best place to go here are the colonial cities, mountains, waterfalls, farms and its rich culinary
Next time visit the flame “Estrada Real”
Hi Rodrigo! If I had more time I would have loved to visit your city! I heard about the beautiful nature in the surroundings, so it’s all still on my to-visit list 🙂 Hopefully next time! Thanks for your comment and tip! Saudações, Renate