In the olden days, there were gems and gold in these hills. Now, the town up in the "hill country" is a glitzy local tourist destination. The baroque Portugese churches are beautiful - outside (above) and inside (see flute concert we attended). The area is also known as the birthplace of their independence in the late-1700's and for the works of Aleijadinho.

All across Brazil, we could see how much they value their pristine environment. However, this view of a nasty aluminum refinery on the way into town brought us all down to earth.

For more on Ouro Preto, go here.