Manaus and Amazon Photographs deedsphotos

A WEEK-END STOPOVER IN MANAUS EN ROUTE FROM SAO PAULO TO DETROIT

In the late 1980s I took the opportunity to schedule a stopover in Manaus on my way back to Detroit from Sao Paulo. At that time it was possible to stop in Manaus without additional plane fare. This turned out to be one of my most enjoyable and inexpensive weekends in Brazil.

Manaus is located in the heart of the Amazon jungle. At the turn of the 19th century it was the source of most of the world's rubber, and it was a very prosperous city which boasted an opera house the equal of many in Europe and a large British expatriate colony who were there for the rubber business. According to local Manaus lore, the Brits sent their white shirts back to London to be washed and starched. The city is long past its heyday but still appears prosperous due its designation as a free trade zone which has attracted electronics companies from all over the world with cheap labor.

I stayed at the Tropical Hotel which offered nice rooms at reasonable rates. I took a bus tour of Manaus the first day and spent the second day on the Tropical Hotel's all-day boat trip on the Amazon which amazingly, cost only $18 including a delicious lunch.

Manaus is located at the confluence of the Amazon and Rio Negro at which point the river is several miles wide. I took my small fixed lens camera and a couple of rolls of Kodak Tri-X film on the boat trip and bus tour. Here are some of the pictures.

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Opera House 1896

Opera House facade detail

Opera House--main entrance

Opera House Interior complete with boxes fit for royalty

Modern and Old Manaus from Opera House Balcony

Favela Shacks by Stream Near Downtown Manaus

Gilberto's Election Slogan "Love and Jobs"

A Thumbs Up to the Tourists from Brazilian Children

Brazilians are among the friendliest people in the world

Gilberto Mestinho's Campaign Posters for Governor of Amazonas

Kiosk with Clock in Main Square Downtown Manaus

Sister and Brother, Downtown Manaus

This colonial bank building was in perfect repair. The picture would have been better in color. The building was painted bright green and white.

This is the Tropical Hotel boat that took us out for a day on the Amazon. The small boat on the left provided the kitchen where our lunch was prepared.

We left the tour boat for a short walk through the jungle to a small zoo.

Jaguar

Monkey begs for food.

We stopped for lunch here on a lagoon or cove off the Amazon.

Two Brazilian girls from the tour group prepare for a swim.

As I recall, this swim suit, common on Brazilian beaches, is called a "tanga."

There was plenty of room for all on the boat's aft deck. The group included Brazilians, Americans, Italians and Canadians, as I recall.

The Amazon is 5 miles wide near Manaus where it joins the Rio Negro.

Brazilian men wear small bathing suits, too.

Brazilian honeymooners.

Care to guess which is the Canadian?

I couldn't think of an adequate caption for this one.

After lunch we re-boarded the boat and went several miles down the river to a small village and trading post.These are the world's largest lily pads.

This beautiful little girl greeted the tourists as they got off the boat. She didn't ask for anything, but I gave her a dollar for letting me take her picture.

Amazon village house built on stilts for rainy season floods.

House of Three Sisters--tourist curio shop

Bedroom, House of 3 Sisters. Note--no screens because there are no mosquitos on this part of the Amazon.

One bedroom Amazon bungalow.

Brazilian couple and their dog.

Grandmother in kitchen window.

Your photographer.

Pool at Tropical Hotel.

Birds in garden pool at Tropical Hotel

Amazon sunset view from Tropical Hotel

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Comments

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jimmythejock says:
3 years ago

great story with fantastic pictures Ralph thanks for sharing.....jimmy

livelonger says:
3 years ago

What wonderful pictures! I liked your narrative, too.

Woemwood says:
3 years ago

Mr Deeds where in Detroit do you live, I have relatives and friends in Bloomfield and in Plymouth, I love Michigan Harry

anomie (Mick) says:
3 years ago

Great armchair trip, W. Thanks!

Ralph Deeds says:
3 years ago

Thanks for the comments! Woemwood--I live in Birmingham which is south of Bloomfield and east of Plymouth. Michigan is a great state, but times are tough at the moment.

bklynite says:
3 years ago

Great pics. Can I get a print of "Brazilian couple with their dog 1"?

cgull8m says:
3 years ago

Great pictures of Amazon, hope they are still maintained the same condition. Nice.

Victor Hugo Azevedo says:
3 years ago

Those pictures are all wonderful, I'm impressed! I'm from Manaus,I was born in 1990, and I've never seen such great photos of my hometown.Manaus is very different now.Great pictures!

Victor Hugo veemail@hotmail.com

Ralph Deeds says:
3 years ago

Thanks for you comment. I spent a most enjoyable weekend in Manaus. The Brazilians are the friendliest and nicest people of all the countries I've visited.

Guru-C says:
3 years ago

Beautiful images! They have such a rich, silver print quality to them.

Ralph Deeds says:
3 years ago

Well, they are 8x10 black and white prints scanned. Some turned out better than others. Thanks for your comment.

John Ketterer says:
3 years ago

Wow! Great pictures. Like Victor, I too am from Manaus. I was born there in 1984 and these photos bring back many of my early memories. Indeed the city has changed much since these photos where taken but there is still much that has remained the same. Thanks again Ralph

Ralph Deeds says:
3 years ago

Thanks for your comment. It's especially nice to get a compliment from someone from Manaus. Someday I want to return. I enjoyed every one of many trips to Brasil. Muito obrigado.

wajay_47 says:
3 years ago

Great hub, Ralph. That had to have been a huge adventure! Great photography also.

Fraser says:
3 years ago

excellent armchair trip as I isited Manaus in 1967 as a young seaman. thans for the reminder

Ralph Deeds says:
3 years ago

Thanks for the nice comments. Manaus is worth a stopover between Brazil and the U.S.

nubia says:
2 years ago

Manuas is wonderful...keep it up.

Ralph Deeds says:
2 years ago

I agree. It's a magical place. Thanks for your comment.

Peter says:
2 years ago

Great shots and clearly an interesting trip. It's good to see you've kept up the good work all these years!

ralph deeds says:
2 years ago

Thanks!

ben says:
2 years ago

I love the city(Manaus) where I was born!!

David says:
2 years ago

Cool photos and it's nice to compare to the current state. I am leaving Manaus tomorrow but coming back in three months to live here for a while. I just cannot belive this city was once the second richest in the world and how things changed i.e. these people struggle so much...

Ralph Deeds says:
2 years ago

Thanks for the comment!

stubbs says:
2 years ago

I really enjoyed this hub thank you very much ralph

Ralph Deeds says:
2 years ago

Thank you.

Peter says:
2 years ago

weqe wqeqwe

Angela Harris says:
2 years ago

Beautiful pictures and people- I'm jealous.

William F. Torpey says:
2 years ago

Excellent hub, Ralph. It's not likely I'll ever get there, but it's enticing. Nice camera work. In the 1950's in the Army I was a reporter, but did photography for a year when we lost our three photographers. If I could take pictures like you I would have been a general!