I recently decided to try out Couchsurfing properly for the first time, so when I was in Rio de Janeiro I began to look for someone in Belo Horizonte who would be willing to put up with me for a few nights. I ended up finding much more than that, and left this city not only staying much longer than I originally intended, but also making some great new friends.

My bus from Rio was delayed by a couple of hours, so it was quite late when I arrived. I felt bad for my host Maria who had been waiting there for a while with two of her other Couchsurfing guests Dave and Gabby (who both happened to be Australian). She took us back to her place for dinner, then we went out to a party in town and hung out with some of her friends.

Maria was fantastic in showing us around the city, and the weekend was packed with activities. We visited Inhotim, a massive open air museum in Brumadinho; got tickets to see the Atlético Mineiro vs Cruzeiro game (the local derby); and went to a few parties and nightclubs. We also walked around Mangabeiras Park, which has a beautiful panorama of the city:

We visited Pampulha, Praça da Liberdade and had lunch at the Museum of Arts and Crafts, and took a tour of the Estádio Mineirão - Cruzeiro's stadium that was used for the World Cup last year.

On Thursday we drove to Ouro Preto, an old colonial town that was once the epicenter of a huge gold rush. A tour guide took us through a few old gold mines, then we visited an old church and finished off with some coffee and cake.

For our last bit of sightseeing Maria took me to Gruta Rei do Mato, a cave located about 1 hours drive from Belo Horizonte. The rest of the weekend was spent eating lots of great food, partying and hanging out with our new friends.

And then the time comes to an end, and you have to say goodbye to the great people you've spent almost every minute with for the past week and a bit. What I've come to realise on this trip is the continual disappointment you feel when you have to move on from the amazing people you meet. It's one of the only downsides of travelling around the world, but you hope one day you will cross paths with these people again. It was however a great experience with great people, and although I might not find a Couchsurfing host quite as generous as Maria and her family, I'm definitely keen to try it again.