Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
SHOPPING
Feira do Sol
Estrada do Ferro
This little market just by
the Madeira-Mamoré Museu Ferroviário has a selection of
5
local crafts and other trinkets.
Mon-Fri 8am-6pm, Sat &
Sun 8am-8pm.
DIRECTORY
Laundry
5 à Sec
, Rua Carlos Gomes 2701, São Cristóvão
(Mon-Fri 7.30am-6.30pm, Sat 8am-1pm;
T
69 3229 2215).
Money and exchange
HSBC is at Av Jorge Teixeira
1350; Banco do Brasil is at the corner of José de Alencar
and Dom Pedro II; Fitta Câmbio at Av Carlos Gomes 1879
(Mon-Fri 9am-6pm, Sat 9am-noon;
T
69 3223 2104,
W
fittacambio.com) changes US, Canadian and Australian
dollars, pound sterling, euros and Swiss francs.
Post o
ce
The main post o
ce is at Av Presidente Dutra
2701, corner Av Sete de Setembro (Mon-Fri 8am-4.30pm,
Sat 9am-noon).
West from Porto Velho
The backbone of modern Rondônia, the
BR-364
highway links the state more or less
from north to south, connecting Porto Velho with Cuiabá, Brasília and the wealthy
south-coast markets. The state's main towns are strung out along the BR-364, almost
all of them - including Porto Velho itself, Ji-Paraná and Vilhena at the border with
Mato Grosso - marking the points where the road crosses major waterways. There's
little to stop for anywhere in this direction and you're better off heading straight
through to Cuiabá.
Travelling
WEST FROM PORTO VELHO
is a very different matter and soon begins to feel
like real pioneering. The further you go, the smaller and wilder the roads, rivers and
towns become. The main attractions are
Rio Branco
and the border crossings into Peru,
in the state of Acre, and
Guajará-Mirim
, where you can cross into Bolivia. The BR-364
in this direction is asphalted, although heavy rains still have a habit of washing great
sections of it away.
Most of the land beside the road between Porto Velho and
Abunã
has already been
bought up by big companies, and much of the forest cleared. Meanwhile, many of
the smaller
fazendas
have started actively producing beef cattle and other tropical cash
crops. Water birds like the
garça real
(an amazing white royal heron) can frequently
be spotted from the bus, fishing in the roadside streams and ditches, but the general
picture is one of an alarming rate of destruction.
Guajará-Mirim and around
About 300km from Porto Velho lies
GUAJARÁ-MIRIM
, a little town on the Rio
Mamoré originally built as the terminus of the Madeira-Mamoré railway. There's
not much to do in town - the main reason travellers find themselves here is to head
over to
Bolivia
or to head up the Mamoré and Guaporé rivers on a trip to the Forte
Príncipe da Beira.
ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE
GUAJARÁ
MIRIM AND AROUND
By bus
There are regular buses from Porto Velho to
Guajará-Mirim (7 daily; 4hr 30min; R$56).
Bolivia, get your passport stamped at the Bolivian
consulate, Av Beira Rio 505 (
T
69 3541 8622), and visit the
Polícia Federal, Av Presidente Dutra 70 (
T
69 3541 0200),
for an exit stamp before crossing the river.
TO BOLIVIA
Entry requirements
If you plan on travelling into
ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
Hotel Jamaica
Av Leopoldo de Matos 755
T
69 3541
3722.
Located in the centre of Guajará-Mirim, this is one of
the town's most decent choices, offering comfortable and
spacious rooms with cable TV, al
ong w
ith a reliable buffet
breakfast. Staff are friendly, too.
R$140
Oasis
Av 15 de Novembro 460
T
69 3541 1621.
This
large breezy restaurant offers a range of tasty lunch dishes
(R$38/kg); it's one of the best options in town.
Wed-Mon
11am-3pm.
Pakaas Palafita Lodge
Estrada da Palheta, Km 16,
