Quaraí, Brazil - Polarsteps

Quaraí, Brazil, has a population of about 24,000. It is located on the border with Uruguay. Their economy is supported mostly by cattle and sheep, rice production, and trade. The river Quaraí separates Quaraí from Artigas, Uruguay, forming the border between Brazil and Uruguay in this region. In 1817, the Prince Regent of Brazil gave José Melo a plot of land in what is now the town of Quaraí. Three years later he sold it to João Batista, and since that time the region has been called "Passo do Batista". This is where both Quaraí and Artigas, Uruguay, are located. By 1859, the city plan had been laid out after several battles between Brazil and Uruguay. So, my impressions: I arrived late in the afternoon. After getting off the bus I immediately went to the immigration office to exit Brazil and go into Uruguay. At the office I discovered I was too late, they were closed for the night. The people who live in these two towns don't have to stop or check in with immigration, they are free to come and go as they want. Anyone wanting to go into the other country further than these two cities must check with immigration. I had to find a hotel and return in the morning after the office opened at 9 am. I found a hotel, a pretty crappy place, but since it was only one night I didn't care. It was dark by that time but I went out walking around the small downtown area anyway. Then in the morning I did a bit more walking around and took some pics. Finally, around 10 am I crossed the international bridge and entered Uruguay. Quaraí is nothing special, so don't bother putting it on a must-visit list. It's very small, the one park/plaza that I found was not well-kept, and most of the streets are still cobblestone.