Manaus Cruise Port Guide

Manaus is the capital of the banks of the Rio Negro, the 'Meeting of the Waters' takes place four miles from Manaus, where the Rio Solimoes meets the Rio Negro to become the The city we see today is primarily a product of the rubber boom. When steam navigation in the mid-19th century opened up the jungle, it spurred the rubber industry and mass immigration. Under Governor Eduardo Ribeiro the famous Opera House and broad Parisian avenues were built. For the rich it was a place of sheer luxury. Palaces and grandiose mansions were erected, and time was passed with elaborate entertainment, dances and concerts. By the turn of the century it was an opulent metropolis run by elegant people who dressed and housed themselves as fashionably as their counterparts in any large European city. In fact, the year 1899 saw Manaus as the first Brazilian city to have trolley buses and the second one to have electric

lights in the streets. But the splendor of the 'Paris in the Jungle' lasted barely thirty years and when in 1914 the rubber market began to collapse the city fell into a rapid decline.

Today, Manaus has acquired new prosperity, largely due to the creation of a free trade zone in 1966. Many new industries moved in, a modern international airport opened in 1976, and the floating port was modernized to cope with the new business. Manaus has become an aggressive commercial and industrial center for an Frormous region. Over half of the country's televisions are made here, and electronic goods can be bought at around a third of what they cost elsewhere in Brazil. This has earned Manaus her new name 'Hong Kong of the Amazon.' As a river port, Manaus presents an unforgettable spectacle. Although the real attractions lie in the surrounding forests and tributaries, the city's most famous attraction is no doubt the opulent Teatro Amazonas. Completed in 1896 after 17 years of construction and at a cost of $3 million, the Opera House recently underwent a lengthy restoration program and now shines once

more in its original splendor. There are also several interesting museums with exhibits geared to provide insight into the human life and ecology of the Amazon region.