Sunday, November 3, 2019, Manaus (city), Brazil

- November 08, 2019

MANAUS, BRAZIL

Located 1,000 miles upriver from the Atlantic, Manaus is the most populous city in the Amazon basin. Its prosperity from rubber trade earned it a reputation as the “Paris of the Amazon,” with elegant buildings, gracious avenues, and colorful facades still visible in the Old Town. The Amazon Theater, constructed when demand for rubber was at its height, boasts a striking tiled dome and rich European influences. The Rio Negro Palace, once home to eccentric rubber baron and later the governors, is a vibrant cultural center. Small excursion boats from Manaus deliver travelers to the Meeting of the Waters, where the dark waters of the Black River and the sand colored waters of the Amazon run side by side.

European flavored Manaus is one of Brazil’s largest cities, yet it is also one of its most secluded. Its remote situation in the Amazon rainforest makes it primarily accessible by boat or plane. So isolated, the unique and fascination culture of native Brazilian tribes has been largely preserved. Nowhere is this more visible that in the historic markets. Behind the pink and yellow façade of the Mercado Municipal, inspired by the famed Les Halles in Paris, you will find a wide array of colorful tribal handicrafts, medicinal plants, and locally grown produce such as pomegranates and mangoes. But the market’s main attraction is the bustling fish market overflowing with freshly caught Amazon species.

Homes along the river bank as we were approaching Manaus.

Pier built for use in summer with river will be 30+ feet deeper.

Little tug pushing three large barges up river.

New container ship dock; not yet in use.

Manaus Cathedral.
Scenic Manaus by Motor Coach

We rode through the capital of the Amazon, a hub of cosmopolitanism built by wealthy rubber barons. The city is located right where two rivers—the black Rio Negro and the light brown Rio Solimões—meet to form the mighty Amazon. The location, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, contains the majority of the ecosys-tems recorded in the Amazon. We saw some of the most historic buildings in the city, such as the ornate Palácio Rio Negro, a cultural center that was origin-ally the home of a German rubber baron, and the riverside Mercado Municipal, a bustling marketplace that sells fish, produce, and medicinal herbs. We paused for photos at the opulent Teatro Amazonas, or Manaus Opera House. We drove outside the city for a visit to the Brazilian Army Zoo, a sanctuary for endangered species such as jaguars, monkeys, sloths, and numerous birds and fish. We spent time strolling through this natural habitat before returning to our ship.