Hi Tony! I'm a fan of no reservations since it started here in Brazil by the Discovery travel channel. I've seen the 2 episodes you made here, one in Rio and the other in Sao Paulo. I know those cities are a must know in Brazil.. if you are a turist! But you Tony is traveller right? If you really want to meet the real deal about Brazil you can't just visit this 2 cities. Specialy because they give you a non realistc view of the country. In the Sao paulo episode you talked about Minas Gerais as a pour region in Brasil.. guess what? You just repeated what your "paulistas" friends told you, and it's so not true! Minas Gerais is a history, food, cities and people treasure. Minas it is not a poor state, actualy is one of the wealthyest, but unfortunaly the poor and the wealthy live side by side here as in any other city in Brazil as you could see in Sao Paulo.But not like sao Paulo we don't have that monster trafic and our cities are one's of the most beautiful in the coutry. We don't like caos, but we do know how to party and host. Our Carnaval it's wanted by Paulistas AND even cariocas (people from Rio)!

About our history: We have the most beatifull historical cities in the country, becouse of the colonial times when life were mostly placed here. We don't have beaches, but we have mountains that will make you stand in silence in respect of there beautty. We have the gold and precious stones heritage, the portuguese arquitecture, the slaves culture. Minas Gerais means "General Mines", because of it's riches mines of gold, iron, diamonds, and of course the source of coffe and sugar.

Food: Want real food? Minas Gerais is your place! Remember Claudia, from the Sao paulo episode? She is from Minas Gerais my friend! Imagine what you can get if you came here, where she learned all that delicious meals you had. Cachaça? Guess where it's from?? Here of course! Minas Gerais! We have an heritage in pork meet mostly, milk, chese and all the gods that come from it, desserts, because of the Portuguese influence and also off course the slaves, cofee, biscuits, cakes.... Just to keep your mind working there comes a "menu" of what you must have here (it's in portuguese but you can handle it, or just google it!):

Frango com quiabo,frango ao molho pardo, canjiquinha com costelinha, rabada, feijao tropeiro, tutu de feijao, pernil, leitao a pururuca, paçoca de carne, mandioca frita, caldo de mandioca, caldo de feijao, feijoada, caldo verde, pao de queijo, queijo minas, biscoito de polvilho, biscoito frito, bolinho de aipim com carne...
for desserts and sweets - doce de abobora, doce de figo, doce de laranja, doce de mamao, doce de leite, broa de fuba, goiabada, bananada, rapadura, ambrosia, quindim....

That's not even a third of what we have to offer!

About the cities: must go to the historical ones - Ouro Preto, Mariana, Sao Joao Del Rey, Tiradentes (all known for it's gold and precious stones history, and portuguese arquitecture, and of course food, gastronomie and winter festivals), Araxa (for history and sweets), Diamantina and Serro (diamonds and chese), Belo Horizonte (the capital, known as the city of the "botecos" that means bar. My city also, i'll be happy and honourto show you around. Also known by it's "comida de boteco" (something like pub's food)).

About the people: As a turist you might had heard that in Rio you can find the most beautiful women.. but as a traveller, you will find that truely the most beatiful come from Belo Horizonte, and that's a commom sense. The people from Minas Gerais, called "Mineiros", have a caracteristc of been discret, quiet, very proud of there land and very suspichous! But also very friendly, great hosts, and I garantee you will not come out of any Mineiro's house whitout eating at least a generous snack!!

Serious Tony! You can't say you know brasil just by visiting the 2 most turistic citys of the country! That's so not you! Come to Minas, and them go to the other places too!! South it's beatifull, great european heritage, very diferent from any place in Brasil, also as the North and Northest totaly diferent!... We have a world in a country!

Come to Minas Tony!! You will not regret this! And please tell me if you do! I'll be so happy to have you as a guest!

Mariana

Oh! just a final information!! Come in the winter!! Minas Gerais is best in these season, many festivals, gastronomie events, the wether is great! we are winter people! Everything happens then!

I'll wait for you!

Mariana