NORTHERN BRAZIL - Brazil - page 274

Manaus 1
Manaus is a legendary city, located at the heart
of the Amazon forest on the banks of the Rio
Negro, close to where this massive river blends
with the even larger Amazon river, or Rio
Solimões as it is known along this section
of its course. With a slightly decaying city-
scape, Manaus is a busy city bringing
together the hectic pace of a modern port
with the hot, laid-back feel of a jungle
town. The fancy European buildings of
the port and the even more splendid
Teatro Amazonas are the only real signs left of the
economic boom in rubber exploitation which catapulted
Manaus into wealthy city status between 1888 and 1912.

E Homen do Norte
Rua Quintino Bocaiuva 626.
Tel [phone]. # 8am-noon
& 1-5pm Mon-Fri. &

An anthropology and
ethnology museum, the
Museu do Homen do Norte
(Museum of Northern Man)
displays the way of life of
the people of Northern Brazil.
It is particularly dedicated
to the caboclos (copper-
colored), or the mixed
descendants of the indigenous
people and Portuguese who
live along the riverbanks.
Cultural, social, and economic
aspects of life in Northern
Brazil are detailed with
photo-graphs, documents,
artifacts, and everyday
objects. The museum also
contains an interesting
collection of indigenous
weapons, including the
infamous furador de olhos
(eye piercer).

Fountain detail,
Praça São
Sebastião

( Mercado Municipal
Adolfo Lisboa
Rua dos Bares 46. # 5am-6pm
Mon-Sat, 5am-noon Sun.
The municipal market was
built in 1902, very close to the
port. It is a joy to behold for
the variety of fish on display
alone. Tropical fruits and
vegetables, many usually
unfamiliar to the visitor's eye,
are also piled high. Several
stalls sell some of the most
interesting and least expensive
indigenous handicrafts. The
market is an amazing building
in its own right. Looking up
to the elegant ceiling and
structure of the building, it is
not difficult to see that
Gustave Eiffel himself had a
hand in its design, which is
said to be inspired by the Les
Halles market in Paris.

P Palácio Rio Negro
Av 7 de Setembro 1570. Tel (092)
3232 4450. # 10am-5pm Tue-Fri,
9am-2pm Sat & Sun.
A remarkably well-preserved
rubber boom mansion, the
almost garish Palácio Rio
Negro was built in 1913. It
was originally home to an
eccentric German rubber
baron, Waldermar Scholz. In
later years, it housed the local
government. These days,
much of it has been opened
to the public as a cultural
center. The palace hosts art
exhibitions and screens films.
The annex houses a couple of
small museums - the Museu
Numismatica (Numismatic
Museum) and the Museu da
Imagem e do Som (Museum
of Images and Sound).

Bananas for sale in the Mercado
Municipal Adolfo Lisboa

House), like many of the
well-engineered features of
Manaus from this period,
was entirely pre-fabricated
in England. The stone used
for the building was brought
from Scotland. The tower
used to be a lighthouse. Much
of this refined building's glory
can be seen from the Praça
Adalberto Valle opposite.

P Alfândega
Rua Marquês de Santa Cruz.
Tel [phone]. # 8am-4pm
Mon-Fri, 8am-noon Sat.
Constructed in 1906 at the
height of the rubber boom,
the Alfândega (Customs

P Teatro Amazonas
See pp282-3.

The Rio Negro with the Porto Flutante (Floating Port) and the Catedral Metropolitana in the background

For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp383-4 and p408