Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
50s. A main feature of the
palace, the largest painting in
Brazil, depicts a scene in
homage to the revolutionary
heroes who liberated Acre
from Bolivia. The palace also
contains several large rooms
dedicated to the prehistory
and history of the region. The
main focus is on the 20th-
century history of Acre, and
there is a superb room dedi-
cated to indigenous culture,
displaying some stupendous
feather headdresses. Artifacts
relating to local history and
tribes are also displayed
in the palace.
A few blocks north, the
Museu da Borrachá (Rubber
Museum) focuses on the
fascinating local ethnic cul-
ture, rubber-tappers, and
ayahuasca churches, known
for their ceremonial use of
hallucinogenic herbs.
Rio Branco is transforming
the city's south bank of the
Rio Acre, which was the
focal point during the rubber
boom, and until the new
north-based commercial
center emerged in mid-20th
century. The municipality
is restoring many of the
buildings, which once served
the river port as hotels, bars,
and a splendid movie theater,
as well as merchants' stores,
making for a lively atmosphere.
The promenade, La Gameleira,
makes a perfect location for
a riverside walk.
The Parque Ambiental Chico
Mendes (Chico Mendes
Environmental Park) is
located in the former rubber
plantation at Itucumã near
Vila Acre, 6 miles (10 km)
south of Rio Branco. It con-
tains virgin forest areas, some
replica malocas (indigenous
longhouses) and rubber-
tapper dwellings, as well
as a zoo and the Chico
Mendes memorial.
E Museu da Borrachá
Av Ceará 1441. Tel (068) 3223
1202. # 8am-6pm Mon-Fri.
E Palácio Rio Branco
Praça E. Gaspar Dutra s/n. Tel (068)
3223 9241. # 8am-6pm Tue-Fri,
4-9pm Sat & Sun . 8 7 ^
O Parque Ambiental
Chico Mendes
Rodovia AC-40 Km 7, Vila Acre.
# 7am-noon & 2-5pm Tue-Sun.
Visitors walking through the ruined Forte Principe da Beira, Guajará-Mirim
Porto Velho 5
Rondônia. * 381,000. ~ @
g n Departamento do Turismo,
(069) 3901 3186.
inauguration in 1912 was just
in time to witness the collapse
of Brazil's rubber industry.
Environs
Guajará-Mirim on the Bolivian
border is accessible by road.
From here, it is possible to
visit the lonely jungle fort, the
Forte Príncipe da Beira , built
by the Portuguese in 1773.
The Reserva Biologica do
Guaporé near Costa Marques
town, which is located 12
miles (20 km) east of Principe
de Beira town, is known for
its diverse bird species. The
Ibama in Porto Velho can
arrange trips.
E Madeira-Mamoré
Museu Ferroviário
Praça Madeira-Mamoré. # 8am-
noon & 2-6pm Mon-Fri. & 7
O Reserva Biologica
do Guaporé
Av Cabixi com Limoeiro 1942.
Tel (069) 651 2315.
A very fast growing jungle
city, Rondônia's capital, Porto
Velho, has grown out of a few
streets beside the giant Rio
Madeira in the last 100 years.
River trips to the nearby
beach of Santo Antônio are
popular for freshly-cooked
fish at a waterside restaurant.
The star attraction, however,
is the Madeira-Mamoré
Museu Ferroviário , where
several steam locomotives,
some under cover, still defi-
antly symbolize a rusting
industrial vision in the middle
of the Amazon jungle. In the
main museum shed, there are
interesting exhibits from the
turn of the 19th century,
when the railway was being
built. Unfortunately, its
CHICO MENDES (1944-88)
A rubber-tapper union leader and
environmental activist, Chico Mendes
helped establish the National Council of
Rubber Tappers. His design for extractive
rainforest preserves won him recognition
by the UN in 1987, with a Global 500
award. He received another award from
the Better World Society, before his
assassination by hired men employed by
the ranchers on December 22, 1988. His
untimely death brought international
attention, for the first time, both to the plight of the rain-
forest and the positive solution offered simply by harvest-
ing the rainforest's fruits and sustainable products. Many
leading Brazilian human rights activists, environmental
campaigners and church organizations came together to
establish the Chico Mendes Committee, which successfully
dedicated itself to seeing his murderers brought to justice.
Environmentalist
Chico Mendes
 
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