22nd – 29th August

history

Manaus rose out of the jungle on the back of rubber. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Amazon’s rubber boom transformed what was once a remote trading post into one of the richest cities in the world. European entrepreneurs and Brazilian barons grew fantastically wealthy, importing marble from Italy, chandeliers from France, and ornate tiles from Portugal to showcase their fortune.

The crown jewel of this era was the Teatro Amazonas, Manaus’s opulent opera house, completed in 1896. Its pink-and-white façade, crowned with a tiled dome in the colors of the Brazilian flag, stood as a symbol of progress and sophistication—proof that even deep in the heart of the Amazon, civilization could rival Paris or Milan.

But the boom was short-lived. When rubber seedlings were smuggled to Asia, plantations in Malaysia and Ceylon soon eclipsed the Amazon’s wild-harvesting methods, and Manaus’s fortunes collapsed almost overnight. The opera house fell silent, the European elite left, and the city sank back into obscurity.

Manaus today

Only in the 20th century, with Brazil’s Free Trade Zone initiative, did Manaus begin to grow again, this time as an industrial hub producing electronics and motorcycles.For the 2+ million living here the climate is relentlessly hot and humid—days push past 30°C with frequent tropical downpours. The jungle is never more than a stone’s throw away. Modern Manaus is a place of contrasts: sleek shopping malls and air-conditioned offices on one hand, chaotic traffic, fragile infrastructure, and poverty on the other. The Teatro Amazonas has been lovingly restored and is once again a cultural centre piece, but step a street beyond and most the beautiful buildings from that era are crumbling and derelict.

For tourists the city is a place where people come and perhaps do river trips, single or multi-day. For us this has not been a city where we feel very comfortable walking around. We have been warned many times by many people to keep our wits about us, keep the cellphone tucked out of sight & not to be walking on the streets, even during the day.

Truck troubles

The morning after we arrived Tim got straight to work on the truck. A pin hole had developed in one of the fuel lines, diesel had been spraying over the engine. Which explains the smell & rough feeling he felt last night. This is a big problem, we can’t move on until it’s repaired. Getting to work he found a Bosch injector technical workshop in the city. It was now Saturday, so we have an appointment for Monday morning. If all goes well we will try to catch a ship down to Santerem on Tuesday morning.

So we chilled out over the weekend, catching up on chores and blog posts. The campground is very nice, surrounded by trees that home to many birds and insects. A small swimming pool to cool off in, a large covered outdoor area with kitchen. Ducks, geese, chickens and a few campers who look like they have been here a while.

We meet a very nice young man in his mid 20’s who is cycling solo around Brazil. Communications is all via google translate and pantomiming. He’s spending 3 months here working to finance his next journey. Blew my mind that he cycled the 319! Looking at his instagram photos, he was the same colour as the road. Camouflaged by dust!

And a fellow Canadian, Robin from Duncan BC. Travelling solo in his van. He’s been on the road 3.5yrs, fluent in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese. Am slightly jealous. He left 2 days ago in hopes of getting into Venezuela without a visa. Texted me last night that it was a no go and that he’s now on his way to Guiana. Yesterday a couple pulled in, Swiss truck, they have spent the past 7 yrs on and off exploring South America.

MUSA – Amazon museum

Monday morning we drop the truck off at the garage, Tim is mildly optimistic they may be able to help. While we go and explore MUSA, a botanical garden / jungle reserve with information on plants, animals, trees, spiders, snakes and amphibians of the Amazon jungle. The snakes & spiders are interesting, but give me the hebe-jeebes. There are so many poisonous, venomous and just plain old nasty critters walking around out there. The kids love it and know much about many species that they were able to immediately identify.

guardians of the rain forest

Following a long path, we walked through the jungle that was dotted with striking photos of the indigenous people. I just loved these and just had to photograph most of them. Here are a few…

information in english

plaques identifying trees and lifecycles of various insects. Climbed the 40m tower with information at 20 & 40m. The view from the top was just gorgeous, 360′ with the city and river behind us, the forest canopy stretching before us. A thick green canopy, knitted together in its unique un-repeating pattern, few taller trees rising above the rest. The view feels endless, just layers of leaves and branches rolling to the horizon. Every so often, a bird darts across the treetops. I can hear the forest breathing in the wind, alive beneath us.

Back at the workshop, the technician was unable to locate a replacement line, so he braised the pipe, recommending we get it replaced. Driving home, the line failed again, diesel spraying everywhere. We had to cancel the boat, need to get this fixed before moving on.

tim the mechanic

Tuesday morning while chatting to Anderson, a Colombian man camped here mentioned he knew of a mechanic, made a few phone calls and within a few hours Tim was hopping on the back of his motorcycle heading into Manaus to pickup a full set of replacement injector lines for Bruce. After chatting to my Dad in England, before cracking in, we asked his advice on how to bleed the lines. Thanks Da! That afternoon Tim had the truck tilted forwards again, melting in his coveralls working in the mid day heat, he had the line replaced in a few hours. Running the engine, so far no leaks, all clean and put back together beautifully.

Wednesday we took a river boat tour, see yesterday’s post.

teatro amazonas – The Opera House

Thursday. Even after its tumultuous history—rising with the rubber boom, falling into silence, and gradually being restored—the opera house still holds on to its old elegance. Climbing the worn marble staircase and passing through the grand doors, you immediately sense the ambition of the original designers: Italian marble floors, gilded balconies, and delicate neoclassical moldings create a space that is both ornate and awe-inspiring. Oh, if these walls could talk!

Our museum tour guided us through the auditorium, where rows of plush red velvet seats surround the stage, framed by gilded boxes and a magnificent proscenium arch. The stage itself is massive, built to accommodate elaborate productions with hidden machinery and pulleys that still hint at the spectacles once performed. Above the ceiling is painted with a depiction of the Eiffel Tower, crafted so that when you look up, you feel as though you are standing directly beneath the iconic Parisian landmark.

ballroom

Upstairs, the ballroom dazzled with crystal chandeliers, polished wooden floors, and intricate ceiling moldings—once the site of grand social gatherings and balls for Manaus’s elite. I could easily imagine men in tuxedos and women in lavish gowns twirling across the polished floors, dancing to the music of musicians hidden in the upper balcony.

Designed with the Amazon forest in mind, with the paintings and hand laid parquet floor.

Interestingly, the women would often send their gowns back to Europe by ship to be laundered—an eight-month turnaround—because the Amazon’s water was too dirty and would discolour the delicate fabrics.

The museum portion of the tour highlighted costumes, photographs, and instruments, chronicling the theatre’s glory days, long decline, and painstaking restoration. As we moved from room to room, it was easy to imagine the sounds of applause, the rustle of silk dresses, and the excited chatter of a city in its golden age.

Even today, the opera house remains a living piece of Manaus. Performances still grace the stage, drawing locals and tourists alike, while the museum preserves the stories of the people, performances, and ambition that built it.

Stepping outside, the contrast with the surrounding city is stark—just a street away, many historic buildings are crumbling—but inside, the theatre offers a vivid reminder of Manaus’s extraordinary past and enduring cultural spirit.

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Jaxon’s 12th Birthday

August 23rd. It was Jaxon’s wish to be in Brazil for his 12th Birthday. Manaus isn’t exactly Rio de Janeiro, but it’s still Brazil! We set off to spend the day at a waterpark with the idea of keeping cool & having fun. Not exactly spoiled for choice, the water park was better suited to younger families. Big enough to accommodate thousands of visitors. There were only two slides big enough to entertain them, after 30 mins they were kinda done. We had a giggle and managed to pass a few hours before heading off to find dinner.

Back at camp we made a delicious triple chocolate cake, lit the candles & celebrated.

With Bruce now running better than ever, we are certainly ready to move on. We have booked a boat to Santarem, leaving Friday…