Today, we decided to have a late start, enjoy the pool, have a leisurely breakfast, go visit some waterfalls and then get to Manaus in the early afternoon.
We decided to visit Irazema Falls which were the closest ... a perfect spot to enjoy the Amazon ... a nice dirt road to get there ... a nice walk through the jungle ... with animals all around us ... and then the falls ... just like you would imagine Mowgli finding a place in the jungle to play with Baloo.
Communicating in português is doable most of the time but it is not simple. I decided to go into the falls and the natural pools wearing my motorcycle clothes ... maybe they could get clean somehow : )
Met a family from Manaus and had a long conversation with David, a 10 year old boy who was autistic and had learned perfect English by watching TV. He told me about his life and his family ... and then he leans over that asks if he can tell me a secret ... he tells me about his family, some good, some bad, no filters.
All in all a great setting to play, swim, meet people, frolic, and just enjoy the jungle, the birds, and being alive. A great way to end the trip ... deep in the jungle having fun.
The last 100 kms flew by. Manaus is a big city. After hitting the outskirts of the city, it was still 20 kms of densely populated industrial and residential areas ... 3 million people ,,, and the heat! ... 120 degrees indexed ... through traffic ... it was a mad dash to get to our hotel.
Manaus is way hotter than any other place we have been for some reason.
After settling in and having lunch, we decided to go see the famous Amazon Theatre, an opera house built in 1896 with fortunes made in the rubber boom and with all the standards and detail of any European opera house at the time.
It was already closed but managed to convince the head of guides to let us in and give us a tour. Wow. A quick way to go back in time and think about all that has happened here over the years.
Tomorrow, we are coming back to a symphony orchestra show right before the plane to Panama leaves as I begin to make my way back to Dallas.
This was a landmark I have always wanted to visit since I was a boy and read a National Geographic article about the Amazon that talked about this opera house.
Looking back at this amazing adventure I can truly say that my worldview, my horizons, my perspectives, my understanding of this world, its peoples, and the universe ... have all expanded! What an experience.
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