Manaus day Two

March 14, 2016 - Today's excursions all about the economic boom between 1888 and 1912 - The era of the Rubber Barons. The Highlights of Manaus tour took us directly into the world famous Opera House - Teatro Amazonas - built at the end of the 19th Century during the Belle Époque when fortunes were made from the extraction of rubber in Manaus. The opera house was designed by Gabienete Portugues and it was more than two years before construction was completed and the prominent landmark with a glistening dome appeared above the port.

Designed in the shape of a harp, the theater can seat up to 700. The main columns, three curving balconies, and the seats are made from English cast iron and the polished wooden armchairs are made from local jacaranda.  The roof is made from red tiles that were imported from Alsace in France, the columns are made from Carrara marble, the outside balconies are built from finely cut Portuguese stone, the cupola was created using 36,000 colorful ceramic tiles also imported from Alsace. The main stage curtain was created by Manaus artist Crispim do Amaral to depict the Meeting of the Waters and a local river goddess, Lara. And even the wooden floors with its light and dark pattern are a reminder of the Meeting of the Waters. There is an area at the top of the Cupola where ice was kept during the performances and would be fanned by the natives to create "air-conditioning".  A key feature in the main auditorium is a ceiling rosette whose four pillars were painted in Paris and reassembled in Manaus. The pillars create the impression of gazing up from underneath the Eiffel Tower!

As we entered this incredible treasure, the Amazonas Philharmonic was in rehearsal! The sound was remarkable, as everything about the Opera House was built for the purity of sound. It was another amazing contrast between the primitive and luxurious.

With the exception of the Opera House, much of the Rubber Barron's Manaus is in disrepair and ruin. Some of their magnificent house have been repurposed as a government building, while others are boarded up, and you can only imagine their past glory.

Black mold seems to be everywhere, caused by the humidity, it creeps through buildings both inside and out; it's quite amazing that the residents aren't all sick! It's a constant battle to keep the buildings clean, somewhat of a losing battle it seems. It would take constant care and the residents aren't all that vigilant. After all, it is a jungle.

The visit to the local market was a contrast of exotic fruits and vegetables, meats of unknown origin, fresh fish and herbal medicines. 

Manaus was in decline by 1912. The exclusive rubber market had been compromised by an Englishman who over the course of 11 years from 1901-1912 stole and smuggled over 38 million rubber tree seeds out of Manaus in dried caymans and shipped them to Malaysia, where the climate was similar enough to the Amazon they were able to establish rubber plantations. When the trees matured, they were eventually able to surpass the Amazonian production for considerably less labor cost, and Manaus succumbed.

Today there are 2 million residents in Manaus and the city is growing. Industries such as GE, Apple, Honda, BMW, Harley Davidson  and Sony all have factories that are producing various components for their products. Once again it's a booming city.