Brazil: Belo Horizonte

From Ouro Preto, we continued north to Belo Horizonte, the new capital of Mina Gerais. Founded in the 1890s as a planned city. Today it's Brazil's third largest metropolitan area, after Rio and Sao Paulo, among the largest cities in the world - I had never heard of it until I started trip planning.

On the ground, Belo Horizonte felt like it was full of streets, a perpendicular grid intersected with a diagonal grid. The city also seems to have quite a homeless problem, though may not be as bad as LA. At the same time, the city has many cultural ventures and museums it lavishes money on.

We made a pilgrimage to the Pampulha Complex, a leisure and culture center designed by Oscar Niemeyer; an initiative of then mayor Juscelino Kubitschek, later president, responsible for Brasilia. We took a BRT bus to Pampulha, but unknowingly got on an express "Directo" bus that went for 10km without stopping. Already fans of BRT, we were rather amazed.

Our first view of Below Horizonte was from the window of our long distance bus.


We passed some impressive 20th-century architecture on the walk from the bus stop to our hotel. And later, the Art Deco Minas Tennis Club (3rd below). Not to mention the Niemeyer Building (4th).








We ate pretty well in BH. Some deep-fried snacks at the Central Market (1st below). Vegetarian buffet at Yan Shan Zay Self-Service (2nd below).




The view at night from the rooftop terrace of our hotel.


Street scenes.




The Giramundo Puppets Exhibit at the Palácio das Artes was amazing!








We rode the BRT (1st below) to Pampulha, known for the striking blue and white, modernist buildings designed by Oscar Niemeyer in the 1940's and 1950's. Second and third below are Casa do Baile. Designed by Niemeyer, it opened in 1943 as a restaurant and dance hall.






We were lucky to get a tour of the Iate Tênis Clube (Yacht Tennis Club). The clubhouse is known for its shallow V-shaped roof. On the walls are paintings by Candido Portinari, often a collaborator of Niemeyer.








Of course being a Yacht Club, it sits on Lake Pampulha, and there are views to the Church of Saint Francis of Assisi and the Pampulha Museum of Art (MAP).






Highlight: Church of Saint Francis of Assisi, designed by Niemeyer with art by Candido Portinari.




















The Bruno Novelli Exhibition - Museu Inimá de Paula.


The Grauben do Monte Lima Exhibition - Museu Inimá de Paula.


Black Nana (Upside down) - by Niki de Saint Phalle


(Ethereal Metal) by Olavo Machado Neto at the MM Gerdau (Museum of Mines and Metal)

Brazil: Institute Inhotim

Institute Inhotim, about 1 hour by car SW of Belo Horizonte, is nature reserve interspersed with gardens and contemporary art installations. It is a rather unique place. While the colonial towns were built from gold, this palace"" was funded by iron ore, and originated from the private estate and art collection of a mining magnate. Though we are usually not huge fans of contemporary art. The setting is beautiful.

Notes to fellow travelers: Inhotim is free Wednesdays, and last Sundays of the month. Get tickets online. Bus 3787 goes to Inhotim, note the time on the schedule is departure from the Brumadinho. We caught the first bus on Sunday, the bus arrived in centro more than 20 minutes earlier than Google maps estimated. We almost missed it. John had to jump up and down, waving his arms. ;-) For return, get the bus here

We caught an early morning bus and, after a twenty-minute walk from the bus stop, arrived five minutes before the gates opened.


One of the highlights of Intohim was "Narcissus Garden" by Yayoi Kusama featuring floating orbs floating in the light breeze to form never-the-same geometric formations. Watch the video 3rd below with sound on.






It's a lakeside setting for "Invenção da Cor, Penetrável Magic square n.5, De Luxe" ("Invention of Color, Penetratable Magic Square no. 5, De Luxe") - by Hélio Oiticica


"Galleria" by Lygia Pape.


"From Mud, a Blade" by Matthew Barney, housed in a glass geodesic dome, was a wonderland for photographers, including us.




"Tartaruga" ("Turtle") by Zhang Huan.


The gardens and grounds at Inhotim are colorful and offer a place to relax; bring your blanket and picnic, and maybe stand in line at the Shade Garden.










We waited in line to get into "Desvio para o Vermelho" (Red Shift) by Cildo Meirele.




The jaboticaba fruit grows directly on the trunks and branches of the so-called Brazilian Grapetree. Wow! Tasty too; reminded us of our SE USA muscadine grape.


"Celacanto provoca maremoto" ("Coelacanth provokes seaquakes") by Adriana Varejão.


The Vandarium Orchid Nursery. Wow! One of our favorite places at Inhotim.


"Beam Drop Inhotim" by Chris Burden




Here is John, immersed in "Cosmococa" by Hélio Oiticica and Neville Almeida.


Sun-Ling, framed in Viewing Machine by Olafur Eliasso


Lygia Clark: Dialogue


And finally on the bus back to Belo Horizonte.