✨ Travel Diary: My Belo Horizonte Experience ✨

A few days in Belo Horizonte, Brazil for a conference—but of course, I sneaked out to explore! Here’s what I discovered. Minas Gerais (the state’s name) sounds like a mix of "Mines" ⛏️ and "Grains" 🌾—so I’m guessing mining and agriculture are big here? (Just a wild theory, don’t quote me! 😜) Highlights of My Escape Adventures: ⚽ Mineirão Stadium – Brazil’s 2nd-largest stadium, right next to the state university. Yes, the stadium where Germany crushed Brazil 7-1 in the 2014 World Cup. 😭 The architecture is grand, almost Greco-Roman, and kids fly kites outside—spot the tiny red one in my pic! 🪁 ⛪ Pampulha Church (Igreja São Francisco de Assis) – A stunning blue-and-white tiled Catholic church. The murals outside tell St. Francis’s story in a unique artistic style. Inside, I felt a strange peace and joy (secret thoughts, sorry! 🤫). Later, sunset by the lake left me speechless—cotton-candy pink and purple skies. 🌅 🍷 Dinner & (Too Many) Drinks – A local restaurant with Japanese-Brazilian fusion, great company, and 4-5 strong drinks (Brazilian alcohol hits HARD!). I was tipsy but coherent—until everything went dark. First time getting drunk abroad: equal parts fun and regret. 🥴 The hosts wanted to drag us to karaoke, but I politely noped out. 🚫🎤 🏛️ Liberty Square (Praça da Liberdade) – Surrounded by museums! My faves: 🔸 Mineral & Gem Museum 💎 – Sparkly heaven! 🔸 State Cultural Museum 🖼️ – Thoughtfully curated. 🔸 Bank Museum 🏛 – Hosted an amazing art/photo exhibit. Plus, I shopped for local crystal jewelry—so happy! 😇 🌳 Inhotim Forest Museum – A magical open-air museum complex in the jungle, with art installations scattered throughout. One featured a stone stele by Chinese artist Zhang Huan—replacing the traditional turtle base with his own likeness! (He’s famous for the "Adding One Meter to an Unknown Mountain" performance art.) On the way back, another dreamy sunset. 🌄 🏍️ Last-Morning Thrill: Uber Moto! – My daring motorcycle taxi ride had near-vertical hills—terrifying yet exhilarating! The driver was sweet, but his skills were next-level. 😵‍💫 Out of words, but not love. Goodnight, Belo Horizonte! 🌙💖 #BrazilDiaries #BeloHorizonte #TravelGram #HiddenGems #MuseumHopping #SoloAdventures