Manaus, Brazil: Humidity, Monkeys, and a Whole Lotta Confusion

okay, so. manaus. wow. just…wow. i’m still peeling the humidity off my skin, honestly. i just checked and it’s clinging to everything like a lovesick octopus - there right now, hope you like that kind of thing. i’m a touring session drummer, you know? I’m used to sweaty clubs and chaotic energy, but this is a different beast entirely. It’s…thick. Like the air itself is trying to hug you.

I was here for a gig - a bizarre corporate retreat thing for some shipping company. Don’t ask. The music was…fine. The food was…an experience. But the city? The city is something else. It’s sprawling, a little rough around the edges, but with this incredible, pulsing life force. It’s not polished, it’s not curated for tourists, and that’s what i loved about it.

I spent most of my downtime wandering. Got hopelessly lost, naturally. Found a tiny cafe that served the most incredible pão de queijo - seriously, google it. https://www.tripsavvy.com/brazilian-cheese-bread-pao-de-queijo-1523777. I swear, i could live on those things. And the fruit! Oh my god, the fruit. I bought a bag of something called cupuaçu - tasted like a cross between chocolate and pineapple. I’m trying to figure out how to smuggle a tree back home.

I overheard some serious gossip at a bar near the Teatro Amazonas. Apparently, the opera house is gorgeous, but the acoustics are…questionable. “Someone told me that during a performance of La Traviata, the soprano’s high notes shattered a chandelier,” a very drunk man slurred at me. I’m not sure if it’s true, but it made for a good story. You can check out reviews on Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/teatro-amazonas-manaus.

Then there was the monkey incident. I was walking along the waterfront, admiring the Rio Negro, when a monkey - a real monkey - snatched my sunglasses right off my face. Just…grabbed them and scampered up a tree. I spent a good twenty minutes trying to coax him down with a banana. No luck. I’m now rocking a very questionable pair of sunglasses i bought from a street vendor.

I also stumbled upon this amazing street art scene. Seriously, some incredible murals. I’m thinking of trying to collaborate with some local artists when i’m back in the states. Check out some local art collectives here: https://www.amazonart.com/.

if you get bored, porto velho and coari are just a short drive away. I didn’t make it out there this time, but i’ve heard they’re worth a visit.

*pro-tip: learn a few basic portuguese phrases. it goes a long way. seriously.

another pro-tip: be aware of your surroundings. it’s a vibrant city, but petty theft is a thing. keep your valuables close.

and finally: embrace the chaos. manaus isn’t going to give you a perfectly curated experience. it’s going to throw you into the deep end and make you swim. and that, my friends, is what makes it so unforgettable. I’m already planning my return trip. Maybe i’ll even bring a monkey-proof case for my sunglasses.

Oh, and something a local warned me about? Apparently, the mosquitoes are ferocious*. Bring bug spray. Lots of it. https://www.cdc.gov/mosquito-borne-diseases/zika/index.html

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