Saturday, March 1, proved to be an extraordinary day in Manaus. We
arrived on time and docked in a position far better than where we docked in
2012. We took some pictures of the skyline and harbor activity from the ship.
Then we had lunch in the Lido at 11:30. We left the ship and walked to the
Opera House. This was not a difficult walk, but the sidewalks were crowded with
weekend shoppers. We had visited the Opera House in 2012, but we wanted to have
another look. It is a very beautiful structure.
At one corner of the
square where the Opera House is located is an information office. We decided to
visit it and get a city map. We waited patiently as the young lady helped other
travelers. Then we asked for a map. She helped us by pointing out various
sights that we should visit. I commented on her good English, and Alice asked
if she could take her picture.
We learned her name is Pollyana. She asked us to
wait a minute as she spoke to another lady behind the desk. Then she was giving
that lady the keys and closing up the office. She explained that her shift was
over and the person with the next shift had not come to relieve her. She was
now off duty and wanted to take us around. I asked what her fee would be and
she said nothing. She wanted to practice her English.
We left the office
together and walked to the Opera House. After looking at it we explained that
we had seen the inside before and did not need the tour. We asked about a
specific artisan market. We knew it was nearby. She smiled, and pointed it out
across the square. Pollyana pointed out that the artifacts were made by
indigenous people. These were high quality objects at reasonable prices. We
admired them, but did not find that just right thing. Nothing was purchased.
Outside Pollyana asked a
security officer to take our picture. The sun was behind us, so the
backlighting made us appear too dark in the picture. Pollyana said she could fix
that. Taking our camera she took two selfies. Much better.
As we walked back toward
the info office, she explained that she was going home to make lunch for her
mom and herself. She had told us about a tour bus parked nearby that left at
2:00 for a two-hour tour. The fare was 60 reales. We asked her if there was a
senior discount and if it was possible to use a credit card or dollars. She
spoke to the driver who explained, in Portuguese, that the fare would be 30
reales or $15 each. He could take dollars, but no credit cards. As a light rain
started to fall we boarded the bus and paid our fare. It was 1:45. Soon Pollyana
came aboard to tell us it would be better to sit on the top deck. We moved up
to the front of the top deck and she stayed with us. The driver came up to open
the roof halfway. The rain had stopped, and this would give us a sheltered place
to retire to, if it began again. Pollyana helped him with the roof and explained
that because of the relationship the tour company has with the information
center she would ride with us for free. Soon her mother, Guadalupe, joined us.
Pollyana had called her.
The bus departed on
schedule at 2:00. Along the route a narrator talked about the sights in
Portuguese and English. He was very good. Pollyana added some additional
information as we drove. At one point she explained that in 2012 the river
reached its highest level ever. She pointed out houses on stilts that had been
flooded above the windowsills. She later commented on the Sambadrome where
Carnaval would begin tonight. This is the largest Samba theater in brazil.
The bus stopped at an
overlook above the beach. In the distance we could see our ship. A little
closer was the beautiful bridge across the Rio Negro. The beach looked very
nice. When we left it, we passed a very nice shopping center and many high rise
residential buildings.
At the monument to the
construction of the bridge we turned toward the bridge. We crossed this
beautiful structure. Its construction reduced the time to cross the river from
two to three hours by boat to just five to ten minutes by car. This is the
first bridge across the river since entering at the Atlantic Ocean, almost
1,000 miles back. After driving for a short while the driver made a U-turn and
headed back. Before we reached the bridge we stopped at a group of roadside
stands where fish, fresh produce and boiled corn were sold. Guadalupe was going
to buy some fish when the driver told her not to bring it on the bus. She did
buy some corn on the cob, and offered some to us when she returned to her seat.
We declined, but sure smelled good.
Pollyana and Guadalupe
would be getting off shortly after we returned across the bridge. First she
asked the driver if he could let us off at the port. He would not be passing
that way, so we would go back to the Opera House. We bid Pollyana and her mom a
fond farewell. At 4:30 we disembarked at the Opera House.
As we walked back to
Prinsendam, we talked about our good fortune in meeting Pollyana. This charming
young lady went out of her way to make us comfortable in her home city. She
went way beyond the call of duty. She made our day truly special and
unforgettable. We hope she enjoyed our time together as much as we did.
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