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| Brazil (Amazon) |
| Rio Branco |
| Crossing from Rondônia into the state of Acre, territory annexed from Bolivia during the rubber-boom days in the first years of the twentieth century, there’s nowhere to stop before you reach the capital at RIO BRANCO. The state is a vast frontier forest zone, where it comes as a real surprise to find that Rio Branco is one of Brazil’s funkiest cities. It’s a small place with little of specific interest to point at, but it’s exceptionally lively, with a strong student influence that means plenty of music and events to fill a stay of a few days. Arriving at night (as you usually do) after an eight-hour journey through the desolation of what’s left of the jungle between here and Porto Velho, the brightly coloured lights and animated streets can make you wonder if you’ve really arrived at all, or simply drifted off to sleep. By the light of day Rio Branco doesn’t have quite so much obvious charm, but it remains an interesting place full of interesting people. | |
| Much of the reason for all
this life is that Rio Branco is a federal university town, second
only to Belém on the student research pecking order for social and
biological studies associated with the rainforest and development.
Consequently the place has more than its fair share of young people, and
of Brazilian intellectuals. On top of this, the region’s burgeoning
development means that Rio Branco is also a thriving and very busy market
town, pivotally sited on the new road and with an active, if tiny, river
port.
Acre and the rubber conflict |
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| The relaxed air of Rio
Branco masks many tensions, above all to do with population movement –
people are still arriving here from the east – and the conflicting
claims of small rubber tappers and multinational companies on the jungle.
The tappers, who have lived here for a long time and who know how to
manage the forests in a sustainable way, see the multinationals as
newcomers who aim to turn the trees into pasture for beef cattle and
short-term profit, destroying not only the forest but also many local
livelihoods. When the leader of the rubber tappers’ union, Chico
Mendes, was shot dead by hired gunmen working for the cattle ranchers
in 1988, the plight of the forest peoples of Acre came to the attention of
the world. Today, the political situation in Acre remains uneasy, with the
second- and third-generation tappers and gatherers joining forces with the
native population in resisting the enormous economic and armed might of
the advancing cattle-based companies.
The City |
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| If you set out to explore
Rio Branco, you’ll soon find that there’s not a great deal to see. Of
the two main tourist attractions, the more interesting is the Museu da
Borrachá, Av. Ceará 1177 (Mon–Fri 7am–5pm; free), essentially an
ethno-historical collection focusing on archeological finds, ethnographic
items such as feather crafts and basketry, and a range of exhibits dealing
with the rubber boom. More relevant to recent history, perhaps, though
closed at the time of writing for renovations, is the Casa do
Seringueiro, Av. Brasil 216 (Tues–Fri 7am–1pm & 2–5pm, Sun
4–7pm), near the corner with Avenida Getúlio Vargas, which houses
displays about Chico Mendes and the life and times of rubber tappers in
general. Nearby is the crumbling but still used Palácio Rio Branco.
The real attraction of Rio Branco, however, lies in the life of the bars, restaurants, streets and markets. The main square – the large Praça Plácido de Castro – is a lively and popular social centre for the town, with concerts, mime and all kinds of live activities happening throughout the year. Every Sunday between 5 and 10pm, the Feira de Artesanato takes place in the SEBRAE building on Avenida Ceará. Here you can find a good selection of rainforest crafts produced from sustainable rainforest products, including jewellery made from tagua, an attractive palm nut which is dense and white like ivory. The port is also worth seeing – small and shabby, but still an interesting spectacle in its own right. There are no regular organized boat trips, but it’s often possible to travel on the rivers with traders and in fazendeiros’ riverboats: ask in the Bar dos Linguarudos, down Rua Sergipe and onto the wooden steps behind the covered market on Rua Benjamin Constant. Acre, and in particular Rio Branco, is a strong centre for some of Brazil’s fastest-growing religious cults. A number of similar cult groups are based in the region, connected essentially by the fact that they use forest “power plants” – like the hallucinogenic vine banisteriopsis – to induce visionary states. Having evolved directly out of native Indian religious practice and belief, these cults are deeply involved in a kind of green nature worship which relates easily to the concept of sustainable forest management. If you want to visit a “Santo Daime” village, contact the travel agent Acretur for details. The groups operate in a vaguely underground way, keeping their sanctuaries secret to non-participants. Interestingly, these cults have now spread to the fashionable coastal areas of Brazil where, behind closed doors in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, intellectuals participate in visionary ceremonies. Getting there |
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| Rio Branco is divided in
two by the Rio Acre, whose old Indian name was Macarinarra, or
“River of Arrows”, because on it were found the flowering bamboo canes
from which arrows were cut. The commercial zone, most of the hotels and
much of the nightlife are situated north of the river. In the dry season,
there is a good river beach on the curve in the river – just
upstream from the bridges and on the Rodoviária side of town.
The Rodoviária (tel 068/224-1182 or 224-6179), 3km southwest of the river in the Cidade Nova, is just about within walking distance of the centre, or take a taxi; note that the area between the Rodoviária and the river is considered unsafe at night. The brand-new airport (tel 068/224-6833) is 25km northwest of town, but is well served by the green and white ECTA airport bus which runs more or less hourly to the centre; if you’re in a hurry you’ll probably want to take a taxi ($14). The regional tourist office, Av. Getúlio Vargas 659 (tel 068/224-3997), can supply maps of the town and information on hotels and travel in the region; the Web site www.amazonlink.org is another excellent source of information. If you happen to be in Rio Branco during the third week of November, don’t miss the Feira de Productos da Floresta do Acre (Acre’s Rainforest Products Fair), usually housed in the splendid SEBRAE building on Avenida Ceará (take the Conjunto Esperança bus from the central terminal), and accompanied by local bands. Eating and drinking |
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| For eating out it
is hard to beat the Restaurante Casarão, at Av. Brazil 110 (tel
068/224-6479; closed Sun lunchtime), by the bottom end of the Praça Plácido
de Castro, near the Teleacre office. The comida por kilo food is
good and, at weekends, there’s live music and an excellent atmosphere.
On just about any evening it’s also a good place to meet people – a
hangout of students, musicians and poets. Cheaper comida por kilo
is available at the Restaurante El Dorado, at the corner of Rua
Deodoro and Benjamin Constant. The Hotel Triângulo has a good churrasco
restaurant, and Oscar’s, Rua Franco Ribeiro 73, is also a popular
meat-house, but for a broader range of regional dishes, try the Kaxinawá,
Rua Rui Barbosa on the corner with Avenida Ceará (closed Wed and Sun) –
it’s also a lively night spot. The Pizzeria Bolota, Rua Rui
Barbosa 62, is a relatively quiet spot, next to the Hotel Inácio
Palace, with a patio out front and occasionally live music at
weekends. More or less next door is the pleasant, good-value Inácio’s.
For street food you’ll find some good, extremely cheap stalls by
the outdoor market, near the old bridge at the bottom of Avenida Getúlio
Vargas.
Nightlife |
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| There are a couple of
typical wooden veranda bars overlooking the river and port area,
down the alley leading into the main commercial market zone, by the Praça
da Bandeira. A great place to meet people in the evening is in the small
triangular Praça Oscar Passos which is stuffed with chairs and tables
served by a number of small bars under a giant mango tree; it’s always
very lively on weekend evenings. You might also try Alek’s Bar on
Rua Rio Grande do Sul near Rua Marechal Peixoto, which to all appearances
is in someone’s back garden. As to clubs, currently packing them
in is 14 Bis right next to the airport (take a taxi) which has live
salsa bands (Thurs to Sat, 7pm to very late). Also very popular is the Maloca
Club out on Getúlio Vargas, open till late on Fridays and Saturdays.
Accommodation |
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| There is no shortage of hotels in Rio Branco, though the better ones aren’t cheap. Top of the range is the Hotel Pinheiro Palace, Rua Rui Barbosa 91 (tel 068/223-7191, fax 223-6397; $50–70), with swimming pool, bar, restaurant and all mod cons. | |
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