Around South America in 80 Days

March 11, 2019

Manaus, Brazil

Today I did a 4-hour tour (actually was just over 3 hours) of the city. We started by driving to the Indian Museum which has artifacts from various Indian groups in the area. Our guide (who was the same as yesterday) told us about some of the items but we also had time to wander on our own.

The next stop was at the Teatro Amazonas, the Manaus Opera House. During the rubber boom at the end of the 1800s, it was decided to build an opera house to rival those of Europe. The building was done over 15 years and the theatre was opened on December 31, 1896. The materials to build it were brought in from all over Europe. When the rubber boom was over (seeds for the rubber trees were smuggled out of the Amazon and areas in Asia took over the business), the building was closed for most of the 1900s until the opera house was refurbished and is once again having performances. We were lucky in that the orchestra was having a rehearsal today and we were able to have a mini-performance.

After our visit we walked across the street to the square and that is when the rain started – it would continue through most of the afternoon.

Our last stop was at the Mercado (market). We had time to walk around and shop. Most of the items were handcrafts but there was also some other items.

Some facts about the city…

· Population is about 2.2 million

· Getting to Manaus from the rest of Brazil is by air or by boat (there is an unpaved road that runs up to Venezuela)

· The first Portuguese settlement was in 1669

· Manaus was the center of the rubber boom in the late 1800s

· Electronics is an important industry with a number of mobile phone manufactures having plants here

We returned to the ship at about 12:45 and Sherita, Patty, and I had a leisurely lunch in the Pinnace Grill.

I knitted before afternoon trivia. We had 13 out of 19 but three teams tied with 15.

1) Which well-known “a” word comes from the Aramaic for “it will be created in my words”?

2) What is nomophobia?

3) What is the collective noun for a group of cobras?

4) In Gulliver’s Travels, what was Gulliver’s profession?

5) What was the previous name of Zimbabwe?

I ate early with my other table. I had artichoke and crab dip, sweet and sour chicken, and a white chocolate sundae for dessert.

At 7 pm trivia, we had 11 out of 19. Two teams tied with 13.

1) Who lost a 1975 fight to Muhammed Ali despite landing 440 punches?

2) How long did it take to build New York City’s first subway?

3) Which of the 12 apostles is said to be buried in northwest Spain and is that country’s patron saint?

4) How many years was Tony Blair Prime Minister of the U.K.?

5) Who gave Florida its name?

Sherita, Patty, and I stayed in the Crow’s Nest while Tom and Pat went to eat dinner. Pat returned in time for Name That Tune. We won with 18 out of 18 (and had a hilarious time doing so!).

Street Scenes