Back in Brazil

04.09.2013 – 07.09.2013,
Route:  Assis Brasil - Brasileia – Rio Branco – Porto Velho (963 km),
103 313 km since the beginning of the journey.


A piece of no-one-land between the two large countries, the area of Brazil is the largest in South America, and the third largest in Peru. Next - Alfandega border crossing point is waiting ahead. Brazil.
At the Immigration Office it takes almost no time, soon everything is in order and the stamp has found its place in the passport. As to the checking out of the car – the same here, no bureaucracy.


As it is almost five already, then it's high time to start looking for some place to overnight, and in fact the border crossing station is a very right place for sleeping. After the coordination of the situation with the authorities we are shown a very convenient place beside a hangar.

During the last two days I have been driving together with Swiss, whom I met for the first time this year in Argentina in January and then again in the meantime, and now the last time a week ago in Cusco. It turned out that they also have plans not to drive conventional Panamericana, so – for some time – the same road!






Brazilian grasshopper, if I'm not mistaken.


The biggest positive surprise of the overnight place was to find a tap behind the angar and the water was perfectly ok, not hot, nor too cold, so that the with the help of a bucket one could take a shower, wash dishes and so on. If it is outside (and inside of the car) continuously over + 30 degrees, then you will value water much more.


Leaving the border crossing point in the morning you just wave good-bye and drive further. "Welcome to Brazil." It is more correct in Portuguese “ Bem - Vindo Brasil„




The current altitude is of 261 meters, a completely different thing compared to the Andes and Altiplano.


The road is not exactly new, but totally ok, it gets increasingly hotter, and all signs are predicting rain. Including the weather forecast.




A couple of hours it is just pouring and then the raining stops and and it is fortunately a bit cooler.


Also, here one can see burnt land next to the road.








One of nearby gas stations of Rio Branco, here - you can eat decently, and here you can spend the night for free, and of course also to refuel.








Hotel Pinguin - usually a penguin name is not much in use here.


On some parts of the road construction works are in progress.




On a barge.


In the distance some part of Bolivia comes in sight. Even the flag is seen through the trees.


The ferry is - as everything in Brazil - large. Suitable for even aircraft carriers. Takes even some time to take a walk to the other end of it.












In the meantime there places of more forest-like next to the road.


The weather is constantly hot. With the window open the temperature is +40 degrees inside the car, but I do not really want to guess how hot it would be while driving windows closed. Outside - of course, is a little cooler, but not much difference.






In small villages by the road there are tire repair workshops. And the service of welding. But on the background - burnt land.






Distances are as always in Brazil huge - like according to the size of the state. Cuiabá is 1520 km away, almost like from Tallinn to Berlin over Poland. But Cuiaba has been visited already, and currently no plans to go there.




Before the next major city of Porto Velho, we find by the riverside a local catering and we are also allowed to overnight there. No Network connection, but you can swim in the river, piranhas are not supposed to be here.


Morning.


Porto Velho is a local administrative center with nearly half a million inhabitants. At the border of the city the construction of a large roundabout had been carried on some time ago but the construction has remained unfinished.










Then it starts to rain. Properly. So properly that within the first half an hour one can not see outside almost at all. The streets are filled with water. The pits in the streets disappear under the water as well. And then the curbs.


And you never know how deep the water on the side of the road could be. Here next to the road in many places there are sewer trenches of one meter of deep and better not to think of this kind of experience.






But the rain gradually stops and the traffic is functioning again. However, in the end this water flows off somewhere. And if no - then by the lunchtime of the next day all the water will vaporate into the sky again rain down the next day again.


Rain makes some changes in our travel plans too, we are in the same spot the next night as well. It is wiser not to drive to some places in rain.


Continued...