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Brazil: Hidden Pousadas - Pousada Luar do Rosario, Milho Verde, Minas Gerais
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By Alison McGowan
May 10, 2010
What a wonderful surprise! The Pousada Luar do Rosario already came highly recommended by pousada owners and travellers alike, but we were not expecting such a wonderful welcome from hosts Margot and Gaia, or the rustic beauty of the pousada itself, the amazing views from both sides of the pousada - or indeed Margot‘s superb home-made pasta!
The 9 suites here are all basic, and none have air conditioning, fans or fridges (the latter mainly because of fluctuations in electricity), but all are clean and comfortable with wonderful sheets, sweet-smelling towels and locally made natural beauty products. Downstairs there is a cozy lounge/library where guests mingle and chat over an excellent glass of wine before drifting though to the restaurant for dinner.
As I sit writing this, swaying in a hammock overlooking the colonial rooftops of Milho Verde silhouetted against the Serra do Espinhaço mountains shrouded in early morning mist it is difficult to imagine a place I would rather be.
 Milho Verde only became widely known (in Brazil at least) in 1981 when Milton Nascimento, one of Brazil‘s most famous singers, used a picture of the Nossa Senhora do Rosario church on the cover of his LP "Caçador de mim". Outside of Brazil it is of course the town is still almost completely unknown - a hidden gem in the district of Serro, around 50 kms of dirt road south of Diamnatina and around 60 kms north of Serro itself.
Like all the colonial villages on the Estrada real, or Royal Way, Milho Verde has a history. It was officially founded in 1711 when the Portuguese crown installed a checkpoint and taxpoint for diamonds leaving the city of Arraial do Tijuco (Diamantina) and it was in Milho Verde that the legendary black slave Chica da Silva, was born, a woman who would subsequently become the most powerful person in Diamantina.
 Nestling between the Serra do Espinhaço on one side and the state national park of Pico de Itambe on the other, this is an area of exceptional natural beauty, and the village, outside holidays and festivals is just a sleepy place where travellers are still greeted with a smile. You won't find a bank here, most phones don‘t work, internet connection precarious and public transport is limited to one bus a day in each direction. But if you want to escape to somewhere beautifully and peacefully hidden, then this is the place to visit. Come now before they asphalt the road!
Not To Be Missed
- hospitality of hosts, Margot and Gaia
- location on the famous square of N. S. do Rosario
- locally made natural beauty products
- amazing mountain views
- Margot‘s pasta
Alison is a British writer, musician, and marketing consultant, based in Rio de Janeiro. She can be contacted on alison@hiddenpousadasbrazil.com. Visit her site at http://www.hiddenpousadasbrazil.com/.
Previous articles by Alison:
Brazil: Hidden Pousadas - Pousada d‘Oleo de Guignard, Tiradentes, Minas Gerais
Brazil: Hidden Pousadas - Pousada Chalé Oasis, Galinhos, Rio Grande do Norte
Brazil: Hidden Pousadas - Pousada Bela Vista, Novo Airão, Amazonas
Brazil: Hidden Pousadas - Pousada Beijo do Vento, Bahia
Brazil: Hidden Pousadas - Pousada Agua de Coco, Ceara
Brazil: Hidden Pousadas - Artjungle Eco Lodge & Spa, Itacare, Bahia
Brazil: Hidden Pousadas - Alcino Estalagem, Lençois, Bahia
Brazil: Hidden Pousadas - Pousada 0031, Cumbuco, Ceará
Brazil: Maguire's Guesthouse, Manaus, Amazonas
Brazil: Hidden Pousadas - Hotel Casa do Amarelindo, Salvador, Bahia
Brazil: Hidden Pousadas - Hotel BeloAlter, Alter do Chão, Pará
Brazil: Hidden Pousadas - Fazenda Santa Marina, Santana dos Montes, Minas Gerais
Brazil: Hidden Pousadas - Casarão da Amazônia, Soure, Ilha de Marajo, Pará
Brazil: Hidden Pousadas - Casa Mila, nr. Ubatuba, São Paulo
Brazil: Hidden Pousadas - Casa Beleza, Santa Teresa, Rio de Janeiro
Brazil: Hidden Pousadas - Bambu Bamboo Pousada and Spa, Parati, Rio de Janeiro
Random Ramblings on the Weather in Brazil
Brazil: Hidden Pousadas - Pousada Beijamar, Bahia
Brazil: Hidden Pousadas - Hotel 7 Colinas, Pernambuco
Brazil: Hidden Pousadas - Pousada dos Quatro Cantos, Pernambuco
Brazil: Hidden Pousadas - Pousada Estrela do Mar, Bahia
Brazil: Hidden Pousadas - Pousada Vivenda, Rio de Janeiro
Brazil: Hidden Pousadas - Pousada da Terra, Minas Gerais
Brazil: Hidden Pousadas - Pousada Mirante de Pipa, Rio Grande do Norte
Brazil: Hidden Pousadas - Pousada do Caju, Alagoas
Brazil: Hidden Pousadas - Pousada da Amendoeira, Alagoas
Brazil: Hidden Pousadas - Estalagem Caiuia, Alagoas
Brazil: Hidden Pousadas - Lagoa do Cassange, Bahia
Brazil: Hidden Pousadas - Ponta do Muta, Bahia
Brazil: Hidden Pousadas - Santa Clara, Boipeba, Bahia
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5/10/2010
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