From Porto Velho, Rondonia to Humaita, Amazonas

[amazondk]

I have been here in Porto Velho, Rondonia a city of 500,000 inhabitants about 750 kms from Manaus. Since the road linking the two cities has not been passable for some 20 years the only viable option to travel here is by air. The boat takes 8 days and would not work well for a business trip. I am developing an export program using barge transportation to Manaus connecting to ocean vessels from Manaus to Asia, Europe, and the USA. I should be spending quite a bit of time here in the southern Amazonian region. Rondonia borders on Bolivia, and the states of Amazonas, Acre, and Mato Grosso. I did not have much to do yesterday, Saturday so I decided to go for a drive to see what I could find. The option I picked was to take the ferry service across the Madeira River and head down BR 319 which goes to Manaus. Well the highway goes there buy about 300 kms is pretty much impassalbe except for off road vehicles in the dry season. I suppose you could walk or take a horse. I took alone in my rent a car to see what I would find. The army has been reparing the road and most of the 200 kms from to the Amazonas city of Humatia was in good shape. From Humaita to Manaus about 300kms is not passable. The government says that by 2011 it will be fixed, but who knows. It is Brazil and politicians say a lot of things. I took off from Porto Velho around noon and got back around 6 PM. It was a nice days drive. There was very little traffic and road was mostly great. I did find a few interesting palm sights along the way.

The line was fairly long for the ferry and it took about 30 minutes to get my car on board.

Although Porto Velho is a booming town and quite well structured the ambience of Amazonia is still all around.

The toll booth

[amazondk]

The line was getting long.

The ferry boat came and it was time to embarque.

[amazondk]

There is lot more to come. But, I have to get back to this later. Business first.

dk

[amazondk]

The ferry has an intersting push boat connection that swings the barge around and moves it across the river.

Porto Velho is the last stop for river boats coming up from the Amazon River or intermediate ports.

A ferry boat coming in from the other side of the river.

A jet ski was crusiing around near by.

[amazondk]

The Madeira is the fastest flowing tributary of the Amazon. It's headwaters are in Bolivia and Peru. The name came form the amount of wood floating down the river. These are only a few branches, but logs are common.

Porto Velho is a major teminal for shipping soy beans down the Madeira to the Amazonian ports of Itacoatiara and Bellem. During the season upwards of 300 trucks a day bring soy beans from the producing reagion of Mato Grosso to be loaded in silos and then transfered to barges to be shipped down river.

lowering the ramp.

[amazondk]

The off ramp for BR 319.

The area of Porto Velho is home to a lot of Attalea speciosa, babassu.

The highway is in pretty good shape now and the drive was relaxing.

Small bactris were growing along the road as well.

[amazondk]

The state line of Amazonas and Rondonia was about 20 kms from the ferry boat landing.

This lone african oil palm was growing along the fence line in front of the babassu.

One of my goals was to eat range chicken on the road at a local place. But, there were none. The first settlement I found was a small wide spot on the road. There was a place that had some chicken, but I decided against it and went on my way. It was a real backwards little place.

[amazondk]

Just after this village I spotted a couple of boys ready to go swimming. the didn't mind posing for a portrait.

The swimming hole.

Our regional symbol the Marutia flexuosa is quite common around here.

As is the Maritellia armata

[amazondk]

A little further down the road I ran into a real suprise. Growing among the Marutias was a grove of Elaeis oleifera growing among the Mauritias. As far as I know this species is not suppose to grow this fart south. I was bout 800 kms from where the southern range is suppose to end from what I read.

[amazondk]

A little up the road I ran into some Oenocarpus bataua mixed into some Mauritias.

A road side stream, igarape.

[amazondk]

Most of the bridges need to be replaced as they ended up as one lane due to washouts. This is one of the larger ones.

The road bed is being completely re done by the army corps of engineers. At least the work gets done with them. With private bids the money is released but the road gets little work done.

My ride was a 1.0 liter Chevrolet, not quick, but it worked ok.

[Jeff in St Pete]

Don, fantastic photos! I really liked seeing the Mauritia and the Oenocarpus!

[_Keith]

Thanks for allowing me to sit in the passenger seat once again. Enjoyed the ride as always. You are a great host.

[palmcurry]

Thanks for the amazon experience, Don.

[amazondk]

Thanks everyone. Since I still have more than half to trip to post I hope you enjoy the remainder.

dk

[Gileno Machado]

Hi Don,

Great pictures as usual. I have a friend who graduated in civil engineering in my class who has worked in the construction of BR 319 many years ago. He said that it was the experience of his lifetime, despite the two malarias he caught while there. I guess that highway is really important to the region's economy, as well as to Manaus. Rondônia state is growing twice the rate of the rest of Brazil and with such a nice climate and soil it will soon become the leading production area of the region. I only hope the new giant Hydroelectric plants they are building in Madeira river will not mess up too much with the local ecology...

It really is a surprise to find Elaeis oleifera so further south of the Negro river...no palm books register their habitat in Rondônia. I wouldn't be surprised to see native Bactris gasipaes and Oenocarpus distichus though...Have you seen any Geonoma around where you've been?

[amazondk]

After about two hours on the road I arrived at Humaita, Amazonas. Humaita like most towns the interior of the state is sort of a calm place without a lot of economic actvity. Amazonas the largest state in Brazil has about 3 million people. Two million of them live in Manaus. And, Manaus has probably 90 percent of the economic activity of the state. Humaita has around 40,000 inhabitants in the municipality. The city was an important area during the rubber boom of the late 19th century and early 20th century. Many of the building alon the river front date from this ecpoc.

[amazondk]

The two dominant forces in life in Amazonas are the forest and the rivers. Life revolves around the rivers.

[SubTropicRay]

Another great thread Don. I love photos of locals living day to day life. The gorgeous natural backdrop is a bonus.

[amazondk]

Hi Don,

Great pictures as usual. I have a friend who graduated in civil engineering in my class who has worked in the construction of BR 319 many years ago. He said that it was the experience of his lifetime, despite the two malarias he caught while there. I guess that highway is really important to the region's economy, as well as to Manaus. Rondônia state is growing twice the rate of the rest of Brazil and with such a nice climate and soil it will soon become the leading production area of the region. I only hope the new giant Hydroelectric plants they are building in Madeira river will not mess up too much with the local ecology...

It really is a surprise to find Elaeis oleifera so further south of the Negro river...no palm books register their habitat in Rondônia. I wouldn't be surprised to see native Bactris gasipaes and Oenocarpus distichus though...Have you seen any Geonoma around where you've been?

Gileno,

Rondonia is indeed growing very fast. The big difference with Rondionia and other states in the region is that it was colonized by people mostly from southern Brazil, Parana, Rio Grande do Sul, Minas Gerais, etc. They came to the new fronteir much as the immigrants to the Western USA did. They came to open the wilderness and create a future. They were not for the most part the poor of Northeastern Brazil. In the process they deforested about 28 percent of the state. There are now about 15 million head of cattle here. But, on the other hand the cities they created in the interior of Rondonia are richer than the capital Porto Velho. I will be spending some time there in coming months and will post some travel pictures. The hydro electrc projects here will of course have an impact. But, they are not dams so large areas will not be flooded. They will channel water through large turbines that are sort of like paddle wheels from what I understand. Who know if this is the best option for Brazil's energy needs, but they will be built. Rondonia is a place I like a lot and am glad to be able to spend more time here. I am going to get some Oenocarpus distichus for sure.

[amazondk]

Ray,

The people are always one of the best parts of the landscape. Glad you have enjoyed the trip.

dk

[amazondk]

I liked this royal palm standing like a light house over the river.

I ate lunch at the place. I was the only one open, but the food was good.

Street scenes behind the riverfront.

[amazondk]

[amazondk]

Life in the tropics.

Amazonas interior back yard with garden on stilts.

Suburbia Humaita

[amazondk]

The area around Humaita is in many areas not high forest but savanna and low forest. These areas run from Cerrado to Campina. These prictures are of what is largely natural savanna land, cerrado. Amazonia is not pure rain forest like many envision it to be, but a mixture of ecosystems ranging from savanna to climax rain forest.

[bubba]

Don, Those shots of the River and it's environs are hypnotic. You have an eagle eye for incredible palms.Thank you for the journey!

[amazondk]

Thanks Bubba. I just got home to Manaus and have some rather interesting Euterpe pictures yet to post. I am glad you enjoyed the trip.

dk

[amazondk]

I had spottedl a nice group of Attalea speciosa on the way over to Humaita and decided to stop on the way back to take a few pictures. The light was getting quite nice by then.

[amazondk]

repeated post deleted.

[Gileno Machado]

Distinctive fronds, these Attaleas Don...

[amazondk]

Farm land which I think was planted with rice. This area produces rice and corn mostly. Although there are some soy beans.

An Astrocaryum jauari growing in a stream bed. This area much be influenced by the Madeira river as this palm normally grows only close to large rivers. It is very frequent in flooded forests and is an important source of food for fish.

Bulls in their pasture.

[amazondk]

One of the best sights of the trip for me was the Açai (Euterpe olearcea) plantation. I would like to have one of these.

[amazondk]

[amazondk]

A few of my favorite - the E. precatoria with a Bactris gasipaes.

More Euterpes

[amazondk]

Further up the road back to Porto Velho the Attalea speciosa gave way to Attalea maripa. Both palms occupy the same environment in the orginal vegetation as canopy palms. But, for the most part they do not grow in the same areas. They do grow in areas close by many times though. I have not idea as to why this natural separation takes place. But, it must have some reason.

[amazondk]

Along the highway, Embratel, the national long distance telecommincations carrier has installed fiber optic cable on poles above ground to connect Manaus to the national network. Manaus is not on the national fiber optic network yet. Which is one of the reasons that local internet service is expensive and poor. There are signs along the way advising people not to burn the brush under the poles. Which I guess would melt the cable. The reason for being above ground is the swampy nature of much of the line to Manaus.

Finally about dark, 6 pm I arrived at the ferry boat landing back to Porto Velho. The wait was short and soon I was back to the hotel. The days trip was not too eventual but enjoyable. And, I did get to see a few palm trees.

[paulgila]

Although Porto Velho is a booming town and quite well structured the ambience of Amazonia is still all around.

The toll booth

[amazondk]

Paul,

I have the same question about the paint. Since Brazil is such a big mix of Africa, Amerindian, and European I guess the answer is somewhere in this cultural soup. I have thought about doing a thread just on house paint colors. Sometimes I a combination really catches my eye and I have to stop and wonder just how they came up with the color scheme. Your place would fit right in.

dk

[paulgila]

i enjoy the weird looks people give as they drive by my place,like this-- or this--

or this-- this last one is very popular lately.

[NCpalmqueen]

Great pictorial, Don. I like studying each photo. What is the temperature there now? It looks like if you were a kid growing up down there that you would have a blast exploring everything. The buildings are very interesting as well.

Thanks for the tour.