Well Toto I don´t think we´re in Kansas any longer

WEll before I head off on my jungle adventure tomorrow I though I would post a little about the capital Brasilia and also the other place I have been staying at, Belo Horizonte for the last three days.

Brasilia up until fourty years ago did not exist. The then government decided that it would be a good idea to build a capital in the middle of the country which would unite all the states and bring some much needed economy into the interior. A team of architects including (the great) Oscar Niemeyer contributed some fantastic looking projects into the building of the capital city, however much to my pity it is not a city to be walked around in and instead lends itself to the car. The buildings are all on a grand scale but the roads are even bigger and seem to dominate the city. To boot it is an extrmely hot state and the landscaping virtually contains no shade or respite for the pedestrain. The climate and the soil are comparable to the Sahara - so I was told. The soil is beautiful and rust red and everywhere it is very dry. And this was winter!!! Anyway I have some fabulous photos but I have currently no way of transferring them to the computer so that will have to wait until i get back. My favourite building of all and a Niemeyer creation - and I could have stayed there for hours - was the Cathedral, really open and airy and just gorgeous.

Anyway on monday night I departed for Belo Horizonte (it took me 11 hours on the night bus) and I am staying in a nice youth hostel. The weather here is much much colder and my body does not like it. BH as the town is know is not particularly nice but is a good spot from which to visit the pretty and collonial mining towns. Yesterday I went to Ouro Preto (black Gold) to admire the baroque churches and it was even colder!!! I really enjoyed myself though as BH is by far the busiest city I ahve ever been in and Ouro Preto was calm and sleepy in comparison. The baroque architecture is incredible especially cvonsidereing that the main sculptor `Aleijadinho´was struck down with a degenerative disease at age 40 so in order to carve the amazing wooden artwok for the churches he used to tie his tools to his body and sculpt with them in that way..... incredible.

Tomorrow as I said earlier I am off the jungle - with a mixture of excitement and trepidation I must say! Not sure when I will be able to post again so for now this is all.

Tania xxxx