"Leaving most of my baggage at the hostel, I got the bus the next morning to Ouro Preto, a town about 100 miles to the north and a place I had always wanted to visit after seeing a TV programme on it done by Alan Whicker in the early 60's. Ouro Preto had been a gold mining centre started in the 17th century, unlike many later gold rushes, much of the money had been lavished on the town resulting in an interesting collection of some 13 glorious baroque churches and many other beautiful buildings and fountains, built on rocky ground over 3,000' up in the mountains. Although 30,000 people still live there most of the mines ran out a long while ago and the city was decreed a national monument in 1933. I arrived about midday staying 'til about 2pm the next day, and would like to have spent a lot longer in this interesting place, finding pleanty to sketch and paint wherever I looked." - Mh