MANAUS

HUMID. hot. Work, work, meetings. Feel like a movie star with all the double takes amidst the city of indians at the shopping. Cupuaçu and açaí ice cream. R$25 for the worst internet. Best café da manhã at the Tropical. Meetings. Found internet at shopping. Computer dies. Meetings. Found lamanites at Papo Furado. Sleep. Sit around. Go to marina for boat ride. Broken trailer = no more boat ride. Longest ride around the city. takaká. Picanha. Sleep. Up at 5. Drive an hour and a half. Breakfast of Graviola juice, tapioca, and pupunha. Kayaking down the Amazon. Weird Amazonian guide sidekick drinking the river water. Danny falls in river. Ben falls in river with camera. More pupunha, farofa, and cupuaçu. Jumping off the bridge into the river. Ben hits arm with branch and left with bruise that looks like sweet under arm tat. Drive back. Guy is pissed at Greg = no more boat ride. Flamengo v. Vasco. More Flamengo fans than in Rio. Crazy crazy people at the praça watching the game. Ben and Danny are lost then found. Terrible flight at 1 am. Get in at 6. Rain and traffic. Get to the office at 9.

I think these pictures capture the beauty and the lack of beauty in Manaus. The city is nothing spectacular, but floating down the Amazon on a Sunday morning is incomparable. The city has the same sounds and sights of any city, but the sounds and sights found on our journey down the river can only be found there. The contrast is incredible.

Kayak launch
Houses on a part of the river
Amazon at sunset
Favela
Favela