More pictures :)

The post right before this one (or after, if you're scrolling) was going to be my only post, but I had to re-upload pictures and decided to pull some more off to share.  I'm too lazy to deal with the formatting of inserting them into the other post, though, so I'll just have some short descriptions here.  If you want pictures, read this post; if you want details, read the next one. :)

INHOTIM:

Some pretty flower pictures: 

The beautiful scenery and pathways that went through the whole park.  I'm fairly sure it's impossible to get tired of a view like this:

Cool gazebo-thing.  From a distance it just looked like a normal gazebo, then we got close and saw its walls were all mirrors!  The walls were all mirrors inside, too, except one wall that had a projected image of a dance floor and two ghost-like dancers (the style reminded me of the scene in "You've Got Mail" where Meg Ryan remembers twirling with her mom); the mirrors were really cool though, because it felt like you were surrounded with dancers.  It was a neat exhibit!

Another sweet exhibit.  Looks like a giant telescope?  Well, you go look through it and the inside is covered with mirrors so it actually basically is like looking at the world with a kaleidoscope.  It was SO cool!  I love that people come up with ideas like this! :)

This was a fun hands-on exhibit.  This lady creates planting pots in the shapes of letters so that people can use them to write words and help create the art and keep it "growing" and evolving.  Super cool.  Anyway, so you find empty pots and then add dirt and water and pick your seeds and write stuff!  I was too lazy (and didn't want to spend the time) to run around finding all the letters for Michelle or anything so I went for first and last letter only ;)

So excited that someday it will be growing those pretty flowers!

Hey look: it's ME!! :D 

Another pretty flower..

There was a (kind of creepy) exhibit in this building that we couldn't take pictures of, but I thought the building itself was gorgeous!  You can't even really tell from these pictures, but the water was such a gorgeous color of blue.  It was so fun to be wandering through paths and scenic walkways and then just randomly stumble on such awesome, buildings.

 Such a beautiful day!

This tree was GIANT.  The pictures do not begin to do it justice.

See that cool "little" bench at the bottom?  It's actually carved out of the trunk of another (huge) tree, and was almost as tall as I was.  Yeah, this tree was massive. 

[I wanted to climb it but thought that might be frowned upon...silly rules.]

Lakes and views like this all over the park!  Such a happy day :)

OURO PRETO:

Goodness, I loved this city.  Look at that view!  Such a quaint but beautiful place.  It was one of those places I felt I just kind of...clicked with.  It was so fun to be there. :)

 The shops were so fun to explore!  Some were normal stuff (clothes, etc), some had Brazilian souvenirs, etc, and then there were a few random stores like this, full of stuff from all kinds of other places!  It was like going all around the world just by walking down a single street :)

View up the street.  (Ouro Preto is in the mountains.  I hadn't really thought much about how incredibly flat Vitoria is until I got there and realized that I now get out of breath if there's pretty much any incline at all haha.)

This is the fun soapstone market.  Pretty much every table has similar stuff, but it was all beautiful!  The people selling merchandise basically just sit next to their table and work on more pieces while they wait to sell.  I bought a beautiful box; carved and painted (blue, of course) with flowers and a hummingbird. :)  

THE ZOO:
Started off walking through the Japanese and then Botanical gardens

Best trash/recycling bins EVER.

Elephants!  All three of them paraded past right by us just before this; I was just barely too slow getting my phone out :(  Still cool though :)

Cool shaped hedges by the entrance.  It made me laugh though when I realized it was supposed to be the nativity (I don't think you can tell, but that dome in the back is the stable, with Mary, Joseph, and Jesus inside).  Why did I find the nativity funny?

Because you have the holy family and a camel...

 ...then the wise men...
...and a gorilla, a giant chicken, an armadillo...

 ...and some elephants.

 Bet you didn't know all those animals were at the nativity, did you? ;)


BONUS:
Here's our cat!  This picture kind of makes her look angry (haha) but she's really a sweetheart.  I love her :D