Guajará-Mirim: The Bolivia Border Town at the Mamoré River
Guajará-Mirim — at the end of the Mad Maria railway — sits on the Mamoré River facing the Bolivian town of Guayaramerín; the twin frontier cities represent the western Amazon's border culture
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Mamoré River Crossing
The river crossing between Guajará-Mirim (Brazil) and Guayaramerín (Bolivia) is made by motorboat — the two border towns meet across the Mamoré, their economies intertwined by cross-border trade
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The End of the Mad Maria Railway
Guajará-Mirim was the terminus of the Madeira-Mamoré railway - the town that the Mad Maria was built to reach; the historic station is now a museum documenting the railway era
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Amazon-Andes culture mix
The border culture of Guajará-Mirim mixes Amazonian and Andean influences — the Bolivian traditions of chicha, llajwa hot sauce and Andean musical heritage meet river fish and Amazonian açaí
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Access to the Madre de Dios River
The Madre de Dios River in Bolivia — accessible from Guayaramerín — joins the Peruvian Amazon; the river trade network that preceded the railway continues in modified form
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Indigenous People Pacaás Novos Nation
The Pacaás Novos indigenous people of the Guajará-Mirim area were among the most recently contacted indigenous groups in Brazil; their contact history and current situation in the indigenous reserve is documented at the Museu Municipal
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Bolivian products in Guajará-Mirim
The Bolivian commercial zone across the river is used by Brazilians for electronics and consumer goods at Bolivian prices; the cross-border shopping culture is the border town's main economic activity