The Amazon

Arrival in Manaus

Arrived in the late morning at Manaus Airport, we took a Taxi to the center. The Hotel we booked is elegant, modern and located very close to the Amazon Theatre. The metropolis of Manaus, entirely surrounded by the largest forest in the World, is connected almost exclusively by air. It owes its fortune and its population growth to the rubber boom extracted from the tree of the same name. Since this production moved to other Nations, however, the city has suffered a slow but inexorable decline; the luxurious buildings built by the Lords of the era are literally crumbling, the beautiful facades show decades of neglect but remain witnesses of a glorious past. The exception is the Amazon Theatre in neoclassical style but plastered in pink which, as a city symbol, is cared for by the local authorities. The tree-lined square facing it is the center of Manaus.

The city appears disorderly and unattractive. After a brief reconnaissance we go to book at an Agency the excursion for tomorrow on the Amazon River. In the evening a walk in a public Park and we have dinner in an Italian Restaurant. We return for the night.

Amazon River

Today a memorable day awaits us. An excursion beyond what we expected, we did not think that so close to the city we could find an uncontaminated natural environment. Having reached the Agency where yesterday we booked the tour with a short walk, we were transported by vehicle to the river Port. From here we boarded a motorized barge that, after a short stop near a barge for refueling and after picking up other tourists at a small port, took us to the famous point where the Amazon River meets the Rio Negro. Here the waters of the two rivers of different intensity continue their course for a stretch in parallel, without mixing. We then stop on a barge where they show us a farmed catfish splashing in the water. Subsequently we stop on another barge for a close encounter with an anaconda, a sloth and an alligator.

We manage to take these three animals in our hands, which are evidently accustomed to contact with tourists. The hug with the sloth is very nice. The next stop is on the riverbank where there is a large open-air Restaurant where we are served an abundant buffet lunch. From here on foot we briefly go into the forest along a high wooden pedestrian bridge. The height is necessary for when the river is in flood. The bridge is characterized by the presence of numerous little monkeys. Once crossed, we find ourselves in front of a body of water with gigantic water lilies. On the way back we enter a well-stocked tourist market. Having reboarded the barge, we pass in front of the Port from where we departed and where large merchant ships that arrived here from the Atlantic are moored.

The river is in fact the other important communication route to reach Manaus and until a few years ago it was also the only one. After a long transfer we dock at an Indian village. The women welcome us in straw skirts and bare-breasted and the men dressed in tribal clothes but it is evident that it is a show for the tourists. That does not take away from the fact that it is an opportunity for the Indians to preserve their culture and traditions. Also pleasant is the dance accompanied by songs offered to us inside a large hut. We are then also involved in the dance. We take a few photos with the indigenous people, I have one of them carry me in front of a rubber tree, then we resume our places aboard the boat. Shortly after we stop on a barge where we are given life jackets. With a ladder we descend into the riverbed.

The water of the Amazon River, light brown in color, is warm and this makes the swim particularly pleasant. In front of us tourists lined up in a circle, a very sweet inia dolphin emerges that we manage to caress fleetingly. A truly beautiful experience. We navigate on the Amazon River to return to the Port passing under the high and long bridge that crosses the river. Having gotten off the barge, we are accompanied to the center near our Hotel. In the evening we have dinner in a square near the Amazon Theatre where a Restaurant faces. We have a river fish served. A short walk where we stop to listen to a musical group playing classic Brazilian repertoire pieces, then back to the Hotel to sleep.

Manaus

After the tour de force of the past few days, today we relax in Manaus. In the morning a guided visit to the Amazon Theatre which inside presents the typical architecture of a great European Opera House with boxes, stalls, stage of honor, etc. In the square in front, a union demonstration is taking place in which we avoid getting involved. We spend the afternoon between the Hotel and the river Port area where we buy souvenirs in a large covered Market. We obtained late check-out by paying a supplement, so we can spend part of the afternoon in the room. In the evening in the square in front of the Theatre we rest on a bench listening to a street musician playing pieces from the international repertoire. Back at the Hotel we wait in the Lobby for the arrival of the Taxi booked at the Agency with which yesterday we did the excursion. Then we set off for the Airport.

Departure from Manaus

Arrived at Manaus Airport we have a nasty surprise, my travel companion by mistake booked the flight a month later. We are forced to get a partial refund for the ticket and buy another one, much more expensive, with the credit card. However, we cannot take the one at the scheduled time and must settle for the flight that leaves a couple of hours later in the middle of the night. From here we fly to Brasilia where we will change for Rio de Janeiro.