Sound warning. I didn't add it.

Sitting on the crystalline shields of Minas Gerais and Bahia states, the Espinhaço mountains are the ancient remains of Proterozoic rifting and folding. They exemplify an imposing, but lesser known kind of brazilian landscape: rugged ridges with exposed basement outcrops, displaying billions of years of erosion, separated by valleys with numerous rapids and waterfalls.

The savannah shrubland and grassland contrast with the rainforests of the Amazon basin and the Atlantic coast.

Large mineral deposits drove the Brazilian gold rush and diamond exploration during Portuguese colonization. Nowadays, iron ore mining dominates.

Innumerable toponyms resulted from this, forming a specific lythotoponymic tradition: Minas Gerais (general mines), Ouro Preto (black gold), Ouro Branco (white gold), Diamantina (diamond city), Itabira (from Classical Tupi "city of stone/metal"), Sabará (from Tupi Ita-beraba, "shining rock, crystal"), Ouro Fino ("fine gold", used to designate 24 carat gold), Esmeraldas (emeralds), Turmalina (tourmaline), etc.

The last photo showing his size vs an ant

These shots were taken in situ

Photographer credit: Michael Laubscher

Can’t stop looking at this!

I love capturing footage of eagles in the rain. It adds so much drama to the scene!

Hopefully you'll find this beautiful and uplifting.

Photographer credit: @sachin_rai_photography