Ouro Preto really is a stunning place – as
a Unesco heritage site every building in the historic town is listed so there
are virtually no twentieth century buildings – it looks amazing. On practical
terms mind, a little frustrating – when the shops are shut it is difficult to
tell whether you are on a street where there are any as the buildings need to
remain untouched – this means no shop signs…making it difficult to navigate at
times.
What is more Ouro Preto is built on a hill
– I have never seen so many steep hills in close proximation to each other –
nothing is flat…steep cobbled streets it says in the guidebook. The guidebook
also says ‘aim to spend a few days here’ probably because more than two days
your body will start to ache after charging up those vertical cobbled streets
and you will be exhausted from walking all over the place. I have brought flip
flops. I won’t be wearing them here – I will be wearing my hiking boots to go
to the shops. It is charming but Jesus, we walked home from the restaurant last
night and nearly collapsed.
We are staying in a beautiful house which,
in line with the rest of the town is centuries in the past. Outside idyllic, in
reality not so. When we first got here our landlady told us there was only one
function working on the cooker and pointed to the oven. We spent the next 3
days believing that we had no stove or hot water. It was like going back in
time (apart from the addition of a microwave, a sandwich toaster but no stove)
but we were not sure such a time
existed. We finally questioned it after deciding it was unacceptable really –
it ain’t cheap here. Turns out only one gas hob is working. Phew. Hot water out
of shower only. Better than nothing.
I havn’t asked if there is wifi yet as I
expect the answer will either be ‘no’ or ‘are you kidding?’ She used to live in
America so she is likely to say the latter.
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