Mandala das Águas.



The country inn Mandala das Águas sits at the gateway to the Matutu Valley between the Lion's Head and Parrots' Peak. The views are specular and so is the food served in a dining room surrounded by nature. No need for a lot of words here as the photos truly tell the story.










The place is full of little surprises as art objects of spirit and fun mix with nature and people into a marvelous harmony. Just wandering around even an ordinary light bulb became for me a true photographer's delight.









And, then there's the family. What can I say other than I'm sure grateful to know them. Tarik, Hixon, Marcia, Sophi, Bambi ... and friends.












See more of the Mandala collection here.

MORE FROM MATUTU



The natural beauty of Matutu seems to inspire everyone toward art. Making beauty is a major vocation in the life of many people -- it appears everywhere. I came under the same artistic spell. Building the previous post inspired me to do another one, presenting some of my previously published (and unpublished) images. Here are a few favorites from Matutu.

First, where exactly is Matutu? It's near Aiuruoca, Minas Gerais in the center of the triangle described by Brazil's three largest cities -- Belo Horizonte, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo.

Second,what makes it so special? Many things, but consider this simple statistic: within 30 miles of Aiuruoca there are 8 named mountain peaks and 28 major waterfalls. The town itself is over 300 years old going a back to the early days of the gold rush and today many think that it's the fusca (Brazilian VW Beetle) captital of the world. Here's my photo album about it.

OK. Here are the images. Click on them to get descriptions and larger sizes.















































If you'd like to visit Matutu and you're looking for a lovely pousada
(bed and breakfast) to stay at you might check out these places:

Mandala das Águas

Pedra Fina