Banks and exchange CA?mbio Turuicam, Av. Presidente Vargas; Banco da AmazA?nia, Av. Presidente Vargas; HSBC Bank, Av. Presidente Vargas 670; Banco do Brasil, 2nd floor, Av. Presidente Vargas 248. Many of the larger shops, travel agents and hotels will also change both travellers' cheques and dollars cash; the Hotel Central generally offers reasonable rates.

Boats leave BelA©m regularly for upstream Amazon river destinations, even as far as Porto Velho (at least one a day to MacapA?, SantarA©m and Manaus) and for coastal cities such as Salvador and Rio; there are also boats every day to the port of SourA© on the Ilha de MarajA? (4hr). However, boats don't have set times of departure, as this depends on tides and river conditions, and there are a huge number of different companies, with no central place where you can get information. Any travel agent will book a ticket for you (just say when and where you want to go), or speak to the captains on the docks. ENASA (Av. Presidente Vargas 41; tel 091/223-3878) has large boats heading upstream four or more times a month. The Companhia Docas do ParA?, Av. Presidente Vargas 41 (Mon-Fri 8am-noon & 2-8pm; tel 091/216-2011/2091), manages BelA©m's port and runs boat services to a number of sites around the city, plus as far afield as SantarA©m, MacapA? and A?bidos.

Car hire Avis, Rua Sen. Lemos 121 (tel 091/230-2000); Dallas, Av. Bras de Aguiar 621 (tel 091/212-2237); Localiza, Av. Gov. JosA© Malcher 1365 (tel 091/212-2700). The Forest Off Road Club, Av. MarquA?s de Herval 948, Pedreira (tel 091/266-1423), hires a variety of jeeps and pick-ups with driver.

Consulates UK, Av. Gov. JosA© Malcher 815 (tel 091/222-5074); USA, Rua Oswaldo Cruz 165 (tel 091/223-0800).

Health matters Hospital Guadalupe, Rua Arcipreste Manoel Teodoro 734 (tel 091/241-8940).

Internet Cybercafe, Av. Bras de Aguiar 742 (tel 091/225-1447; Mon-Sat 8am-midnight, Sun noon-6pm), has a good set-up with snacks, drinks and your own desktop for around $1.50 an hour.

Laundry Lavanderia Marajo, Av. Bras de Aguiar 408; Lavanderia Tintuvana, Av. Presidente Vargas 762 (inside the arcade).

Post office The central post office (Mon-Sat 9.30am-6pm) is an impressive building on Av. Presidente Vargas. However, as this is frequently crowded, it's often quicker to walk to the small post office at Av. NazarA© 319, three blocks beyond the PraA§a da RepA?blica.

Shopping BelA©m is one of the best places in the world to buy hammocks (essential if you are about to go upriver) - look in the street markets between Avenida Presidente Vargas and Ver O Peso, starting in Rua Santo AntA?nio, or try the one at Frutuoso GuimarA?es 273, near the Hotel Fortaleza. The Aplo Livros & Artes shop, at Av. Conselheiro Furtado 2956, SA?o Braz, sells a wide range of new and second hand books, posters and CDs. For artesanato, head for Casa AmazA?nia, Av. Presidente Vargas 512; the Loja Victoria Regia, Av. Presidente Vargas 550; or the CantA? do VirapurA?, Av. Presidente Vargas 594. Orion Perumaria, Frutuoso GuimarA?es 270, produces and sells a wide range of rainforest oils, scents and cosmetic products. Fotoveja, Av. Presidente Vargas 526, and Fuji Image Plaza, Av. Presidente Vargas 690, both sell Kodak and Fuji film.

Taxis TA?xi Celular (tel 091/988-7870); or CoopertA?xi (tel 091/257-1720).

Telephones Sinetel have indoor public kiosks on the corner of Av. Presidente Vargas and Rua Riachuelo; Telepara have a poste telefA?nico on the third block of JoA?o Alfredo (Mon-Fri 10am-7pm, Sat 10am-4pm). Alternatively, street phone booths accept phonecards for local, inter-urban and international calls.

Travel and tour companies Mundial Turismo, Av. Presidente Vargas 780 (tel 091/223-1981) is one of the main travel agents in BelA©m and the best place to buy air tickets. More personal service, and a greater choice of tours around BelA©m, is offered by Amazon Star Turismo, Rua Henrique GurjA?o 236 (tel 091/241-8624 or tel & fax 091/212-6244), an excellent French-run agency specializing in eco-tours, including visits to Cotijuba, IcoaraA§i, Mosqueiro island and Ilha de MarajA?. Tapam Turismo, Rua Sen. Manuel Barata 700-A (tel 091/212-4129 or 212-5506, fax 241-5613), offer both regional and city tours; Gran Amazon Turismo, Av. Presidente Vargas 698 (tel 091/242-1717, fax 223-5564), operate city tours, river tours and excursions to Mosqueiro island and Ilha de MarajA?, and can also organize flights; Gaia Terra (tel 091/276-4007, fax 276-1299, www.amazon.com.br/~gaia), run boat trips to and around the bairro of GuamA?, where they take visitors on forest trails with expert guides; Amazon Incoming Services, Av. Gentil Bittencourt 3552 (tel 091/249-4904 or 986-2024), offer a wide range of tours, from a three-hour city tour to half- and full-day river tours to IcoaraA§i village and Mosqueiro island.