Grand South America & Antarctica Voyage, Manaus, Brazil... Part 1 of 2

I went out early this morning to take in the sights as we made our way to Manaus...I have been here a number of times, and the sights never get old.  It was a long but fulfilling day sailing along the Amazon...  We passed the “meeting of the waters” in the daylight and the captain advised us we had 1.5 meters of depth to spare on our transit through the shallowest part of the river. You may notice in my photos a cargo ship that we were meeting ran aground just before we passed. We were pleased for the captain and all of passengers that we made Manaus without incident. Great start to the day! After a great sail into Manaus this morning, Ann, Cathy, myself and our friends Diane and Gloria joined us, and we took the first tender to shore. I was amazed at how low the water was at the pier. We took the shuttle to the terminal and started our walk about the busy center town Manaus. On leaving the terminal we could see the Customs House…this building was prefabricated in Liverpool, England and shipped to Manaus over a hundred years ago. We walked to the Mercado Municipal Adolpho Lisboa, built in 1882 on the banks of the Negro River, a protected national monument. A downscaled model of Paris’ Les Halles features stained glass windows as well as iron framework that was made in Gustave Eiffel's Paris workshop. The market is a maze of stalls selling everything from fresh fish, meat, bananas, tropical fruits and local crafts. From this market we made our way to the Negro River waterfront, a hub of activity and important center for trade and transportation along the Amazon. On my last visit in 2020. the water was up to the staircases of the cement pier…today I walked on the dry river bed, a testament to the record Amazon drought. With our late arrival into Manaus, we wanted to be back before dark so we decided to turn around and make our way back to the port along a parallel street to the river…this was actually a very busy shopping street bustling with activity giving us a glimpse into local life. We made our way to the Metropolitan Church, Manaus' main cathedral with its twin bell towers and a warm yellow exterior. The approach to the church makes for a beautiful setting with its double sweeping staircases up to the church…inside the church is a welcome respite from the busy streets just outside. Leaving the church, we stopped to see the clock tower and walked across the street to the cruise terminal. Despite the hot and humid weather, we had a fun late afternoon seeing some of the sites in Manaus.  Tomorrow morning, we have an all-day tour, taking us out on the water…  never know, there might be a pink dolphin along the way.