A Day in Manaus

Hot. Sticky. Smelly. Disheveled.  That about sums up what I feel like right now after a full day in the Amazonian city of Manaus.  Sitting right on the equator, the sun just beats down on you. Might I also add that I feel energized, excited, adventurous, and changed after my 8-hour excursion through the markets, cathedrals, opera houses, and churrascurias of Manaus. That is one common theme I am picking up on after now having stopped in two ports. Every step into a new country is leaving me full of life and energy. I just want to go, go, go. I don’t think 10 cups of coffee would even match up to the liveliness coursing through my veins right now. My first introduction into Brazil was definitely an adventure. I left the ship around 9am with no plan, just willing the day to unfold naturally. Accompanied by two of my roommates, a few others and one very bare map, we attempted to wing it in through a bustling jungle city. Right off the ramp, cars whizzed by, one man was praising god for bringing such “beautiful ladies” to Manaus, the smell of trash filled the air, and street vendors covered every sidewalk selling exotic fruit, cell phones, and delicious-looking fried goods. We chose a direction and began walking until we realized this town plopped in the middle of the Amazon is actually pretty big and we have no idea where to go, what to see, what to do. We resorted to our map to try and pick a numbered location from a list of destinations all in Portuguese. Settling on the Teatra Amazonas, we headed that direction. Along the way we came across a gorgeous cathedral with a huge mosaic dome. As we walked by, we could hear the church hymns from a mass in progress. Beyond the church, was a long street bustling with vendors farther than the eye could see. There was jewelry and crafts and baskets and finally the one thing that I have no problem spending money on, authentic Brazilian food. I bought a coconut pastry and one little taste of white chocolate with raisins and apricot(?) inside it. Weird combo, but very good. My roommate bought some creamy egg pastry, an acai shake, AND coconut water straight out of the coconut. We each tasted each other’s goods. The acai shake was gross but the coconut water surprisingly good. Finally we reached the opera, another gorgeous piece of architecture. The interior was very ornate and the ceilings were covered in murals. We had arrived just in time for a free performance by the local orchestra. We had seats about two stories up, built into the wall, like individual box seats. What a great view of the surroundings! The performance was just what the doctor ordered. The heat and the sun were really starting to get to me. It was nice to relax in a velvet cushioned chair and sync into the classical sounds of violins, flutes, oboes, violas… So peaceful. After the opera, our group sort of split up due to different intentions for the day. My roommate, Alyssa, and I wandered the streets on our own. We stumbled into some back areas that left us a little uneasy but the citizens of Manaus are some of the friendliest people I have come across. People were greeting us left and right with smiles and “Bom dias.” We made our way into one of the only open shops, a convenience store, where we each bought a refreshing ice cream. We also stopped into a local grocery store (Carrefour) full of interesting food. This was a godsend because the food on the ship can get pretty old. Snacks are a MUST. I bought mango juiceboxes and banana doughnut cookies. I was going for something new. I have no idea how those are going to taste. Ok here comes the good part and the highlight of my day. We were both ready for a real meal so we consulted our trusty map and discovered a recommended restaurant called Churrascaria Bufalo. I thought I had remembered the interport student from Manaus recommending it as well. We attempted to map out the best way to get there and began on our way. Apparently neither of us are any good at reading maps because after about 45 minutes of weaving and backtracking down abandoned streets, passing homeless men sleeping curbside, ignoring whistles from passing vehicles, and battling the heat and dehydration that was starting to set in, we arrived at the restaurant. Looking back, it was probably not the smartest idea, being two lone females wandering such abandoned streets but we made it and laughed about it all the way through an absolutely amazing meal. After we were seated, we each ordered a local soda called Gaurana. Then sat. and sat. and sat. Until finally we struggled to ask a passing waiter why we hadn’t received a menu yet. He pointed to a previously unseen buffet. I guess the restaurant was buffet style. I headed up to fill my plate. There was spaghetti and fish and fries and salad and corn and beans. I was a little let down by the selection but willing to embrace it. When I got back to my table, the waiter came up to me, pointed at my plate and starting saying something to me in Portuguese. I had no idea what he was saying so I just nodded my head and smiled. That obviously wasn’t sufficient because he kept throwing Portuguese at me and began frantically pointing at my plate and then the buffet. Eventually he gave up and walked away. Five minutes later, he comes back to my table and says “Meat, meat!” My plate was full of the side dishes. The real food was at the barbecue, just behind the side dish bar. Somehow I had totally overlooked that too. I wasted no time and soon enough I was standing face to face with some pretty delectable meat all on these huge skewers. I tried a little bit of everything; bacon-wrapped chicken, roasted chicken, beef, mozzarella cheese, garlic bread. It was sooooo good!  The same guy who enlightened me to the wonders of this great restaurant visited our table for the remainder of the meal. We actually made some progress with a broken conversation in English. I got across that I was on a ship and here for 5 days. I also told him again and again how great the food was. I learned his name was Lucas and we got a picture together. He was so nice. Actually the whole staff at the restaurant was great. If I was in Manaus longer I would definitely go back. It was such a great experience and full of hilarious moments that I will never forget. I’m back on the ship now and will be leaving at 9pm tonight for Rio. It’s a 7 hour flight but I am so excited to see what adventures unfold there!