Brazil (Amazon)
On to Peru: Brasiléia and Cruzeiro do Sul
There are really only two onward routes from Rio Branco, and both of them end up in Peru. You can either head south to Brasiléia (which is actually on the border with Bolivia) and from there continue to Assis Brasil for the border crossing, or head west to Cruzeiro do Sul and Brazil’s westernmost extremity. The Peruvian jungle region of Madre de Dios, where you arrive after crossing the border between Assis Brasil and Inapari is wild territory. Cocaine smuggling does happen on this frontier and, although it’s much easier to make the crossing by public transport these days, you should not undertake this route lightly.
ASSIS BRASIL
ASSIS BRASIL is 90km beyond Brasiléia, and the rough road can be slow going by bus. If you can’t get across the border the same day – which should be just about possible if you set off early enough from Rio Branco, and the buses connect – there’s a reasonable hotel on the praça ($10–20) or you can camp near the river and leave your bags at the police station. It’s then just a two-kilometre walk across the border to the small settlement of Inapari in Peru. The Hotel Aquino here is basic (under $10); or you can camp by the football pitches over the road from the hotel. From Inapari you can continue by colectivo, bus or truck to Puerto Maldonado in Peru, a journey that can take a few days even in the dry season (May to September) and can be significantly tougher in the rainy season (November to March). There are also irregular flights to Puerto Maldonado from Assis: they vary in price from $40 to $80 and can be organized at the Assis airstrip. From Puerto Maldonado there are road and regular air links with Cuzco and the rest of Peru.

BRASILÉIA
The small town of BRASILÉIA is six hours by bus from Rio Branco and if you’re crossing the border this is where you have to visit the Polícia Federal for your exit (or entry) stamp. The office (daily 8am–5pm) is just to the right of the church as you head from the international border with Bolivia, the bus terminal just to the left. If you have to stay the night, the Hotel Major, Rua Salinas 326 (under $10), is cheap and cheerful. Much better rooms, with air-conditioning, are at Pousada Las Palmeras, on Avenida G. Assis (tel 068/546-3284; $20–35). You can change money at the Casa Castro, over the river on the road towards Assis Brasil.

It’s possible to cross to Bolivia here but there seems little point. The small town of Cobija on the other side, once an important rubber-collecting station, has a few expensive hotels and, at present, no onward land transport, though you can fly out, or attempt an adventurous river trip onwards to Riberalta. However, a road link between Cobija and Riberalta and the rest of Bolivia is planned.

CRUZEIRO DO SUL
Totally isolated on the western edge of the Brazilian Amazon, CRUZEIRO DO SUL is a town of some 50,000 inhabitants, many of whom, as in Rio Branco, are social science or biology students; many others are involved in cocaine smuggling. The only dependable links with the outside world are by air either to Rio Branco (daily; 2hr) and from there the rest of Brazil, or to Pucallpa, a jungle city in the Peruvian Amazon. The road to Rio Branco is generally only passable between June and October and even then there is no bus service.

There is little obvious attraction to Cruzeiro, though it’s possible to make river trips to extraordinarily isolated seringais: they can be booked through most hotels from around $30 a day. The Hotel Novo Acre (under $10) is very good value, and the Hotel Flor de Maio (under $10), overlooking the Rio Ituí, is cheaper still. Of a better standard, Sandra’s Hotel, Av. Celestino M. Lima 248 (tel 068/322-2481; $10–20), is probably the cleanest in town, and is similar to Savone Hotel, Trav. M. Lobão 53 (tel 068/322-2349; $10–20).

But the only reason people come here is to cross from Brazil to Peru or vice versa – and even then this is one of the more obscure border crossings. The quickest way to Peru once you’re here is to fly direct to Pucallpa – about one hour in a small plane which generally leaves on Tuesdays (check with SASA, Boulevard Taumaturgo 25; or with TASA, Peoreira 84, tel 068/322-3086). There is no bus link between the airport and Cruzeiro town centre some 7km away; taxis cost $6–10. The aggressively adventurous option, only possible in the rainy season between November and March, is to go by boat, which takes anything between one and two weeks and involves at least two or three days’ walking between the Ucayali and Juruá watersheds. This involves travelling through a remote and relatively dangerous part of the Peruvian jungle, where terrorism and smuggling make tourism rather risky, and is not recommended.

If you’ve arrived from Peru, you can get up-to-date information about the road to Rio Branco from the land transport group Organização Geral Transportes, Av. Celestino M. Lima 79 (tel 068/322-2093). Airlines that operate flights within Brazil from Cruzeiro include: VASP, Av. Celestino M. Lima 220 (tel 068/322-2106); Taxi Aéreo Vale Juruá, Rua Barbosa 132 (tel 068/322-2587); Tavaj, at the airport (tel 068/322-2587); and Varig, Av. Celestino M. Lima 90 (tel 068/322-2359).