Our vehicle (La Terminator) was repaired for the last time in Belo Horizonte and by this time I was skeptical of any local mechanic's competency that I felt it prudent to test the van by driving 100km to a nearby town called Ouro Preto. It is an old 17th. century Brazilian colonial town would make you think you were back in Europe. Ouro Preto was a focal point of the gold rush and a golden age under Portuguese rule. The town was an artistic playground for Aleijandinho, the Brazilian Michelangelo.
It was an amazing one day's journey and one of the highlights of my South American travels. La Terminator drove back to Belo Horizonte without any technical problems.