The Amazon: our experience in Manaus and the Jungle
- Gustavo Galli
- 19 de nov.
- 9 min de leitura
We consider ourselves well-traveled people; after all, we've been around the world, visited several countries, discovered new cultures, met different people, and eaten some very strange foods. But even so, we hadn't been to one of the most sensational and incredible places on the planet: the Amazon. And, mind you, it's right next door! But even for Brazilians, the Amazon isn't so trivial. I would say that only 30% of our friends have been there, and every time we share our experience, it's like we're talking about another planet—that's how different this place is.
It's worth remembering that the Amazon is larger than the total area of all the countries that make up the European Union combined, meaning that when we say we visited the Amazon, we're talking about 0.00001% of what there is to see. The Amazon is so absurdly vast that even going there dozens of times, there is still an infinity left to discover. But I believe that by the end of this post, you will get a sense of just how incredible this place is and will be dying to go there someday.
We spent 10 days there, and this post is a compilation of what we did on that trip. Since the trip was divided between the jungle and the city of Manaus, I decided to structure the post that way. Shall we begin?
How to get there?
Manaus is the capital of Amazonas state and, believe it or not, there are no major highways connecting it to any large cities. Actually, if you are in Porto Velho, the capital of Rondônia state, it is possible to go by bus or car; which takes almost a day. But since you probably won't be coming from there, know that there is only one viable way to reach Manaus from major urban centers: by flying. My tip, as always, is to buy the ticket using Decolar.com because you can compare prices more easily. Just to give you an idea of where Manaus is on the map, take a look:
Manaus: What to do?
Manaus is a surprising city! Firstly, because it's incredible that a city of over 2 million inhabitants exists literally in the middle of the Amazon Rainforest, and secondly, because it carries a super interesting and unique history. In the late 19th century, when the automotive industry was just starting to take off, the only source of latex for tire production was the Amazonian rubber tree (seringueira). This tree species was native to northern Brazil and could only be found here. So, imagine the following scenario: all the cars produced worldwide had tires that depended solely and exclusively on the latex production that only existed in Brazil! As a result, there was an economic boom in the region driven by the so-called Rubber Boom (Ciclo da Borracha), where hundreds of people migrated to the area in search of wealth. Manaus is precisely the result of this history. Isn't that incredible?
Teatro Amazonas
This is the main symbol of the city's history. The theater was inaugurated in 1896 to accommodate the ambitions of a nascent elite that grew due to the Rubber Boom. The architecture is impressive and captures some of that ambition. The style is Renaissance, the 36,000 tiles on the dome came from France, the steel walls came from Scotland, and the marble is Italian. Just imagine transporting all of that to the middle of the Amazon rainforest more than 100 years ago!
The theater is operating and has a different schedule every month, but we ended up taking a guided tour inside the main halls, and it was very interesting. It is not necessary to book the visit in advance, but I think it is worth sending a WhatsApp message to inquire about tours in English (WhatsApp: +55 (92) 3622-1880). The ticket price is approximately US$5 per person.
MUSA - Museu da Amazônia
Located 30 minutes by car from the center of Manaus, MUSA (Museum of the Amazon) is a "living museum" of the Amazon Rainforest that occupies 100 hectares of preserved forest, featuring wildlife nurseries, exhibitions, trails, and a 42-meter observation tower, which can be accessed by climbing 242 steps. We spent a few hours visiting the museum and left with the feeling that the forest is much larger and harbors much more life than we read about in books. It is a must-see tour! There are several types of guided tours, but the standard one costs approximately US$8 per person.
Museu do Seringal (Rubber Plantation Museum)
This is undoubtedly a highlight of our visit to Manaus. The Seringal Museum (Rubber Plantation Museum) faithfully reproduces a 'rubber estate' from the late 19th century and tells the sad history of how workers were exploited in the relentless search for 'white gold.' As the location was the filming set for the movie called 'The Jungle' (A Selva) in 2002, all the facilities are super well-maintained and give a perfect notion of what life was like at the time.
The rubber trees were not planted; they were native to the region, located kilometers away from each other. The 'seringueiro' (rubber tapper) had to walk for days to collect the latex in an environment full of wild animals and indigenous people, who were often not very welcoming. In addition to these dangers, the wages they received were infinitely lower than the real value of their labor. In other words, here you will discover that behind the luxury built by the elites in Manaus lies a story of great pain and struggle for survival. I get goosebumps just writing this story!
To get to the museum, you need to take a boat that leaves from Marina do Davi and takes about 30 minutes. The entrance to the museum costs about US$5 per person.
Mercado Municipal Adolpho Lisboa
One of the things we enjoy most in any place we visit is strolling through the city market. The Mercado Municipal Adolpho Lisboa, better known as the Mercadão (Big Market), opened over 140 years ago and features restaurants, typical Amazonian fruits and spices, regional fish, as well as a section dedicated to local handicrafts. It is undoubtedly a must-see tourist spot for anyone visiting the city, whether to try a typical dish or to buy a souvenir to take home.
Meeting of Waters: Rio Negro e Solimões
The Meeting of the Waters (Encontro dos Rios) is one of Manaus' most iconic tours. Due to the difference in speed, temperature, and chemical composition, the waters of the two rivers do not instantly mix, taking more than 6km to merge and form the Amazon River. It's incredible! We ended up passing by there on our way to the jungle. Check out how cool it is!
The Jungle: what we did...
As I said, the Amazon Rainforest is GIGANTIC, and there are hundreds of places you can visit, offering entirely different experiences. There are 5-star hotels deep in the jungle and super simple guesthouses run by locals. We opted for a more local experience with a guide named Mathias who accompanied us for 5 days. What I've described here will serve more to pique your curiosity than to show you exactly where to go, because even I don't know that! Haha :). Anyway, I'm leaving Mathias's WhatsApp contact here: +55 (92) 9327-8498.
The region we visited is located about 100km from Manaus and is called the Juma River Banks (Margem do Rio Juma). We got there with Mathias, who picked us up at our hotel in Manaus and took us by car and then by boat to Pousada do Nilson, a floating house where we stayed. There, we had breakfast, lunch, and dinner, which were simply wonderful, and every day we planned with Mathias what we were going to do. To make it more engaging, I've detailed each tour we took, and at the very end, there's a section for some of the culinary wonders we ate during those days. This whole experience was surreal!
Igapós ans Sunset Tour
Right on the first day, we went out on a boat ride along the igapós (floodplain forests) of the region. An igapó is an area of forest that remains flooded for a period during the year. Since we went at the end of August, the rivers were still quite full, and the experience of speeding close to the trees by boat was incredible. We also saw our first Amazonian sunset, which was truly breathtaking.
Jungle Trail and Samaúma
On the morning of the next day, we had our breakfast and went straight for a trail walk deep in the jungle. Along the trail, Mathias showed us various interesting facts about the plants and animals of the forest. For example, we discovered there's a type of tiny ant that you can rub on your skin, causing a mosquito-repellent effect. In the middle of the jungle, that's really important. Trust me! There is also a type of resin called "breu" that is used in natural cosmetics and has an incredible flammable property. It can be used to start a fire in the forest. On that same trail, we found one of the largest trees in the Amazon Rainforest: the Samaúma. It can reach 70 meters in height, with trunks so large that it takes several people to hug it. It is surreal!
Piranhas Fishing
I don't know what you think, but for me, piranhas are one of the most bizarre animals on the face of the earth. Not only because they are carnivorous and super aggressive fish, but also because they work together. In Brazil, there is an expression called 'boi de piranha' (piranha's ox), which basically means that one person will pay the price for others. The story behind the expression is that cattle ranchers in the central region of Brazil, when crossing cattle through a piranha-infested river, leave the oldest one last with a cut that makes it bleed. With this, the piranhas focus on it and let the others pass without problems. Believe it or not, this is true! Well, I told that story just to say that fishing for piranhas with Mathias was surreal! The one Alana is holding is the red one, and it's the most aggressive!
Visit to a Local Family's Home
One of the most unique tours we did there was visiting the home of a family who lives on the riverbank. On that day, we set out with Mathias and didn't quite understand the proposal, but as soon as we started talking to the people, we began to realize how enriching that experience was. The house was about 30 meters above the river, which protected it from the floods, and it had several windows that made it very airy (imagine the heat in the middle of the tropical forest!). The family was quite simple, and the patriarch was illiterate. Despite that, we noticed he had an above-average clarity on several topics, and we talked with them for hours. Of course, I can't forget the family pet. A two-year-old paca named Brad Pitt! Haha :) Raising wild animals is very common in this region of Brazil.
Jungle Lunch and Cabin Construction
The highlight of our trip was to have lunch in the jungle. We left Mr. Nilson's guesthouse around 11 a.m. and sailed for about 20 minutes until we reached an entrance to the jungle in the middle of the Igapó. We entered the forest, and the first thing we did was start cutting giant palm leaves, over 4 meters long, to begin building our shelter. This was one of the big lessons we learned from Mathias: the first thing you do in the jungle is build your shelter. This is because the rains are so common and happen so quickly that you need to ensure you'll be covered if one occurs. We made the simplest cabin, called 'Rabo de Jacú' (Jacu's Tail). It gets this name because its shape resembles the tail of a local bird called the Jacu. Take a look at how it turned out:
After the construction, we started making the fire. And it wasn't just making fire with a lighter! We had to create the fire from scratch, using two pieces of metal and dry wood that we collected from a specific tree whose name I can't recall. Once the fire was going, we started cooking. This part was also incredible, because we made rice, boiled fish, chicken, and even pineapple for dessert. It was wonderful! After lunch, we lay down in the hammocks that Mathias set up in less than 30 seconds and stayed for as long as we could bear: 15 minutes! It was so hot and there were so many mosquitoes that we couldn't even breathe. Another big lesson: the Forest is always pushing you out! It is too humid, too hot, it has jaguars, snakes, spiders... In other words, it is not made for humans. This was one of the most important things we learned in the Amazon. The forest is there to be preserved, and there is no point in going against it.
Incredible Food
Although life in the jungle has no luxury, there is also no hunger. This is because food is usually right outside the door, in the rivers and forests surrounding the riverine (ribeirinhos) homes. We ate a fish called Pirarucu, which certainly weighed over 20kg, Paca (No, it wasn't Brad Pitt!), and even ants. All I can say is that Amazonian cuisine is unique and wonderful. These were some of the dishes we ate:
I hope this post inspired you to go see for yourself our beautiful Amazon Forrest! Cheers :)
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