Pousadas

On our field trip through Minas Gerais, we've stayed in Pousadas. These are a cross between a bed and breakfast and an hotel. They're generally between 10 and 20 rooms, quite quaint and charming, comfortable and well-apponted, but a much cheaper option than a big hotel. They're often out in the country areas and run by a family.

We stayed in Posada Vivenda in Tiradentes, which was lovely, but the real highlight was the Pousada in Ouro Preto, Pousada Lacos de Minas. It was stuck down a narrow, cobbled street that was almost too narrow for the mini-bus, behind an iron gate leading into a courtyard and through imposing wooden doors into the foyer. We were greeted by a welcoming open fire - not really necessary, but it was raining and a bit chilly. Our room was on the first floor, up a wooden staircase. The windows were shuttered, which made it very appealing and welcoming. We'd had a big lunch, so the staff prepared two different soups for us for dinner. 

Pousada in Ouro Preto

Our next Pousada was near Brumadhino, Pousada Nova Enstanzia, and took some finding. We thought we were truly lost when we ended up on a dirt road, but we eventually found it. It was the most rural stay, out in the sticks with a lovely garden and paddocks. Again, very well-appointed and charming. There was abundant birdlife - caracaras, tyrants, swallows, LBBs. Rick and Laureen were constantly out and about with binoculars.

Our last Pousada was in Belo Horizonte, and reflected the city - not very charming at all. It was actually a Hostelling International branch. It was basic and smelled of bleach. The one plus was its location near a lake around which wandered capybara. Yes, this is South America.

Rock and Stone

There seems to be a mixed relationship between Brazilians and rocks. Around Rio, which is incredibly hilly, there is evidence of many rock falls and as a consequence, there are enormous concrete barricades, rock bolts and mesh catching devices. There have apparently been quite bad rock falls in the past. The scary thing is that there are many huge, precipitously placed boulders above quite large residential areas.

On the other hand, dressed stone is used EVERYWHERE for building and decoration. We've encountered some magnificent stone in many of the Pousadas in which we've stayed. The one at Brumadhino had a magnificent granite laden with garnets. As I type this in Rio International airport, the tiles on the floor are dressed stone. Door jambs that in Oz would be made of wood are stone.

Around Tiradentes, the paving included massive pieces of ripple marked rock. Even the facade of a church was composed of ripple marked rocks!

Particularly in Ouro Preto, there are stone masons and carpenters producing what looks like really skilled work.

Streets in Ouro Preto and Tiradentes were paved in cobblestones. Very pretty and evocative, but a bugger to drive on. Our driver, Pedro, took it very carfeully, but it was awfully bumpy.

Church Facade
 

Stone Wall in Tiradentes - note cobbled sreet in foreground

 

It all contibutes to the unique look and feel of the old towns.

Journey

We set off from Rio at 8....well, 8:20 by the time the bus arrived and we'd stowed luggage. Again, there's a select group of new and old travellers. Rick and Laureen from Washington state, Thomas from Austria, Jenny and Doug from the UK, Jacinta from Brazil and Bruce and me are returned tragics from the Geoanalysis 2009 field trip. We have been joined by Marta from Spain, Nick from the UK  and Yuri from Russia. Other ocassional participants are Renate Schmidt from Brazil, Riccardo from Minas Gerais university and Marcello, Jacinta's husband. Pedro Paulo is our driver.

Geology lecture in a service station car park!

Tiradentes Church

To access inland Brazil, you have to cross a barrier mountain range, where we encountered misty, cold weather. As we dropped down onto flatter areas, it warmed up and the vegetation changed with beautiful araucarias growing in the paddocks. 6 hours later we arrived in the small town of Tiradentes (literally means 'pulling teeth, named after a revolutionary leader'). It is paved with cobbles and stone with narrow streets, windy and often steep streets. Its main claim to fame is a beautiful church, perched up on top of a hill. It's absolutely charming, but a bit theme-park. Arriving on a Saturday, it was packed with tourists (der, we're tourists). We stayed in Pousada Vivenda, a lovely little setup within walking distance of the main part of town. We has free time to do some sightseeing. There was a photo opportunity around every corner.

Deja Vu

Rainy Rio

Back in Rio again after a slow and scenic route back from Buzios. We visited a fort built in 1612! Unfortunately the weather turned and we were unable to go up Sugarloaf and Corcovado, but we did talk about the rocks, and there was good exposure on the point where the rocks were. Short of time and I don't know when I'll have access to the internet again.

Tribes

Being thrown into a foreign land without speaking the language has caused me to think about tribes. I have left my tribe and am on the periphery of another. I can't communicate in anything more than a rudimentary manner. People have been very kind and helpful, but I am an outsider and would remain so for a long time.
I have now joined another tribe - the geoanalysts. Here, despite being from many different lands - Brazilian, Mongolian, English, American, Oz, South African.......you get the picture - and speaking many different languages, we're all united by our common interest in geoanalysis. Phil Potts knew BWC, Maggie knows Nick Bradshaw, Jenny and Doug used to work with Janice and Michael was at ANU at hte same time as Champo. 6 degrees of separation.
This morning I needed help putting up my poster. The Mongolan contingent came to the rescue. They were thrilled to see I was from Geoscience Australia (their organisation is the Mongolian equivalent). They couldn't speak English and I couldn't speak Mongolian, but we managed to communicate and they helped and now we're friends. I mentioned that we use their CRM OSHBo, and we had another common thread.
I feel very much a part of this tribe - we all speak a peculiar common language. I have had discussions on furnaces, XRF, the dark art of Rietveld analysis. And birds and beer.

Jacinta welcoming delegates to the conference
 

What fun.

Buzios

Buzios is a small fishing town about 4 hours drive north of Rio. Whoever thought this was a good place for a conference needs their head read. Who would want to be cooped up in a lecture theatre when there's a beach and blue, blue sea within spitting distance? However, such is the fate of us poor geoanalysts.
The wi fi has been patchy and unreliable, and this is the first time I've been able to access it for more than 5 minutes since I arrived.
Yesterday  I spent the day in a workshop titled 'Representative Sampling' conducted by one of the sampling gurus, Kim Esbensen. It was really good, however I think it will cause me to assess some of the lab's sampling techniques.
This morning, we learned lots about CRMs and microanalysis techniques. Bill, I have taken notes!

Buzios
 

Networking opportunites were abundant.

Gridlock

I travelled in a bus today along the road next to Copacabana Beach, and could've walked faster. It really takes forever to get anywhere by road transport. The drivers are mad but marginally better than Romans. Did I mention that they drive on the wrong side of the road? I think I knew this, but it was reinforced when I narrowly missed being bowled over by a car travelling in the opposite direction from what I was expecting.
I am coping (just) in a non-English speaking country. People are very patient and helpful. Portugese really isn't like any other language i'm familair with. I can make out meaning when it's written, but struggle with fast-speaking Cariocas. They seem to love Australians, which i find embarassing considering that poor Brazilian kid died after being tasered in Sydney.
I'm getting good at pantomime
Not impressed by the cuisine..Lots of deep-fried things, pizza with too much cheese. However, sandwiches are good, and lots of fresh fruit juices. I haven't tried fejoada (sp?) yet. I'm struggling with the $24 cost for a peasant dish. Seems a bit incongruous.
Have I mentioned Caiparinhas? All that vitamin C must be good for you.

Full Brazlian

Why have I lost the ability to spell?
I'm going to edit out all the mistakes I've spotted in previous postings and vow to be more careful in fture. If only all mistakes were as easy to remedy.
Brazilians seem to be very happy, demonstrative people. I went on a tour today and both guides ended up singing at some point. One also described how Carnivale reduces him to tears.
The weather improved today and the trip to Sugarloaf was spectacular. Unfortunately the mist descded in the afternoon and on the trip to Corcovado poor Christ the Redeemer was shroaded in clouds. The railway up was fun.
Impressions: gob-smacking views, cute lizard on Sugarloaf, black birds  (black vultures? No-one seemed to know) soaring over the peaks, climbers on the peak behind the cable-car, blue sea.

Casual Observation

Why is it that as humans we take a visually stunnign natural wonder such as Copacabana Beach and completely ruin it with ugly buildings? Whoever thought that putting big tower blocks along it would enhance it?

High rise with favelas in background
 

Partial Brazlian

One of the wonders of the technological age, is that I can sit in a hotel room in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and type a blog update, using my little dongle thingy and baby laptop. Who would've thought? I'm old enough to remember that the phone was a new-fangled device!
So.....I feel like I've travelled half -way around the world and landed in a different time zone, which is equivalent to being hit by a bus, I suspect (having not actually experienced being hit by a bus). This may happen in Rio, Traffic is scary.
Impressions? Big, smelly (sort-of a chemical smell, similar to that that exuded from the area around Rhodes in Sydney when it was an industrial area), contrasting poverty and richness, goats (they'll take over the world), hot, humid.

                                           Beautiful beach, shame about the weather

I have paddled in the Atlantic Ocean!
Copacabana Beach really is beautiful. It's very long, quite wide and clean, though there appears to be an army of people to keep it clean. There's a long promenade all the way along it and lots of running, biking, dog-walking and roller-blading is done.
Locals seem to love their dogs.

                                           See! I really am there.

Have mentioned that you can get caiparinhas about every 50 metres along the beach?

Waiting

Up at sparrow's fart this morning to catch the train to Sydney. Uneventful but relaxing.
I've just found out I can't do online check-in. Boo.
Pat is going to catch the train to the airport with me tomorrow, bbut unfortunately we'll have to leave at about 5:45! Ugh, tomorrow will be a long day........

In the beginning.....

The normal habitat for the geoanlayst is the laboratory, where they are carefully sheltered from the outside world, surrounded by machines that go 'ping', 'beep' and 'bang' and people who pretend to know what a Nd/Sm ratio is.
Every three years, a migration occurs as  geoanalysts converge to discuss crms, verification, measurement uncertainty and rocks.
This is the story of one such migration. Brazil and the town of Buzios, here we come!

                                                Waiting for the train on a foggy morning