MANAUS is the capital of
Amazonas, a tropical forest state
covering around one and a half
million square kilometres. It is
also the commercial and physical hub
of the entire Amazon region. Most
visitors are surprised to learn that
Manaus isn't actually on the Amazon
at all. Rather it lies on the Rio
Negro, six kilometres from the point
where that river meets the Solimões
to form (as far as Brazilians are
concerned) the Rio Amazonas. Just a
few hundred metres away from the
tranquil life on the rivers, the
centre of Manaus perpetually buzzes
with energy: always noisy, crowded
and confused. Escaping from the
frenzy is not easy, but there is the
occasional quiet corner, and the
sights of the port, markets, Opera
House and some of the museums make
up for the hectic pace in the
downtown area. In the port and
market areas, where the infamous
Porto do Manaus smell is
inescapable, pigs and chickens line
the streets and there's an
atmosphere which seems unchanged in
centuries.
For the Amazon hinterland, Manaus
has long symbolized
"civilization".
Traditionally, this meant simply
that it was the trading centre
, where the hardships of life in the
forest could be escaped temporarily
and where manufactured commodities
to make that life easier could be
purchased - metal pots, steel
knives, machetes and the like.
Virgin jungle seems further from the
city these days - just how far
really depends on what you want
"virgin forest" to mean -
but there are still waterways and
channels within a short river
journey of Manaus where you can find
dolphins, alligators, kingfishers
and the impression, at least, that
man has barely penetrated. Indeed,
most visitors to Manaus rightly
regard a river trip as an
essential part of their stay; there
is a variety of jungle tour and
lodge options. Even if you can't
afford the time to disappear up the
Amazon for days at a stretch,
however, there are a number of sites
around Manaus that make worthwhile
day excursions, most notably the meeting
of the waters of the yellow Rio
Solimões and the black Rio Negro,
and the lily-strewn Parque Ecólogico
Janauary .
The City
It's not hard to get used to the
layout of the city, and most things
of interest huddle close to the
water. From the floating port where
the big ships dock, riverboat
wharves extend round past the
market, from one end of Rua dos
Andradas to...
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