Amazon Adventure Day 13 - Manaus & Teddy Roosevelt Redux

The venue and the show.

The cousins are on their way back to the states. Harlan and I chose to spend another night at the Juma Opera Hotel in Manaus to recover, relax, and enjoy another performance at the Teatra Amazonas across the street.

I started this travel journal by invoking Teddy Roosevelt's memoir about his 1914 expedition down the River of Doubt in Brazil. I thought it would be fun to find and post extracts from the journal that are relevant and/or vaguely comparable to our Amazon adventure. But, until perusing the hotel brochure, I did not realize that at the completion of his journey, Roosevelt stayed in the same building as we are staying now: 

"In the early 20th century, the Juma Opera Hotel building housed the Consulate of the United States of America. Around this time, Theodore Roosevelt, the US ex-President. was officially invited by the Brazilian government to take part in a scientific expedition to the Amazon region and its rivers... During his visit to Manaus, Roosevelt stayed awhile in the American Consulate, in the very same building that now houses our Hotel." - Juma Opera Hotel Brochure

Teddy's description of his stay in Manaus was complimentary to the city, but he was less than forthcoming about his own health at the end of the trip:

"Every one was most courteous at Manaos, especially the governor of the state and the mayor of the city. Mr. Robiliard, the British consular representative, and also the representative of the Booth line of steamers, was particularly kind. He secured for us passages on one of the cargo boats of the line to Para... Belen and Manaos are very striking examples of what can be done in the mid-tropics. The governor of Para and his charming wife were more than kind." -  Teddy Roosevelt, "Through the Brazilian Wilderness"

Candice Millard's biography painted a more complete picture:

"Physically at least, Theodore Roosevelt was not the same man he had been when he left New York nearly eight months earlier. Even Leo Miller, who had endured dangers and deprivations of his own during his descent of the Gy-Paraná, had been horrified when he saw Roosevelt in Manáos, writing that his commander had “wasted to a mere shadow of his former self.” For his trip from Manáos to Pará, Brazil, Roosevelt had been transported to his steamship in an ambulance and carried on board on a stretcher." - Candice Millard,  "The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey"

Teddy and me in the hotel bar. 

There were plenty of opportunities for injury and sickness on this adventure. We frequently were wading over slippery sharp rocks in the river. There are many stinging, biting, and venomous critters in the Amazon including bees, flies, mosquitos, scorpions, spiders, snakes, sting rays, electric eels, and piranhas. And we saw most of them over the course of the week, some inside our cabin. 

A couple of uninvited guests in the cabin.

And, of course, for travelers experiencing different cuisine, intestinal distress is always a risk. That said, I am happy to report that except for a minor scrape and a single mosquito bite, Harlan and I avoided all of this while at the Kendjam Lodge. Which brings me to my own tragic injury on this adventure. 

It occurred at the danger filled location of the hotel rooftop pool and bar. Victor, my favorite bartender, was on duty. After a cooling swim, I bellied up to the bar and asked for a local brew in a glass.  As I reached for a sip, I bumped the glass, then lunged for it, grabbing broken glass as it hit the bar and taking a slice out of my finger tip. It created quite a bloody mess. Ever the professional, Victor poured me another one, cleaned up the mess, and procured bandage material. Not necessarily in that order. 

No harm, no foul. 

That evening we strolled across the street to the square...

...where an impromptu concert was underway.

Then we were ushered in to the Teatro Amazonas...

... for another enjoyable performance in that spectacular venue.

Après theater, back to the square and dinner al fresco at Tambaqui de Banda.

Where we ordered the signature dish also named "Tambaqui de Banda". 

A great finish to a wonderful trip. Tomorrow we fly. 

Amazon Adventure Day 4 - Preparing for Kendjam (plus piranha)

Packing before departing on this trip.

This is the official itinerary of the first day as we received from Untamed Angling at the Kendjam Lodge:  

"Overnight accommodation (sharing room) at the Juma Ópera Hotel in Manaus, the night before departure to the Kendjam, is included in the package. You will receive all the information regarding the next day’s plan for time of departure, typically around 5:30 AM weather depending. Arrive in Manaus. Our representatives will be waiting for you at the Manaus International Airport (MAO)." - Kendjam Itinerary for 25-July

From this point forward, things start to get a little sketchy for time and internet access as far as maintaining a daily journal. I am pre-posting the itinerary for each day, with the intent of back-filling with pictures and the events of the day. That's my good intention, "Road to Hell" notwithstanding. 

This day was primarily about getting our kits ready for departure. As there was a strict 40 lb weight limit for the single checked bag on the small plane charter flight to the lodge, strategic management was in order. We needed to decide what we really needed for our fishing adventure, how much we could pack into our carry-on, and what to leave at the hotel where we would return at the conclusion of the trip. 

Repacking in Manaus Hotel before departure to Kendjam

Time to again consult the Teddy Roosevelts memoir about his 1914 journey of exploration down the River of Doubt:

"The Outfit for Travelling in the South American Wilderness South America includes so many different kinds of country that it is impossible to devise a scheme of equipment which shall suit all. A hunting-trip in the pantanals, in the swamp country of the upper Paraguay, offers a simple problem. An exploring trip through an unknown tropical forest region, even if the work is chiefly done by river, offers a very difficult problem. All that I can pretend to do is to give a few hints as the results of our own experience." - TR, "Through the Brazilian Wilderness"

"A good medicine-chest is indispensable. Nowadays doctors know so much of tropical diseases that there is no difficulty in fitting one out. It is better not to make the trip at all than to fail to take an ample supply of quinine pills. Cholera pills and cathartic pills come next in importance. In liquid shape there should be serum to inject for the stoppage of amoebic dysentery, and anti-snake-venom serum. Fly-dope should be taken in quantities." - TR" 

"For clothing Kermit and I used what was left over from our African trip. Sun helmets are best in the open; slouch-hats are infinitely preferable in the woods. There should be hobnailed shoes—the nails many and small, not few and large; and also moccasins or rubber-soled shoes; and light, flexible leggings. Tastes differ in socks; I like mine of thick wool." - TR

"A khaki-colored shirt should be worn, or, as a better substitute, a khaki jacket with many pockets. Very light underclothes are good. If one’s knees and legs are unfortunately tender, knickerbockers with long stockings and leggings should be worn; ordinary trousers tend to bind the knee. Better still, if one’s legs will stand the exposure, are shorts, not coming down to the knee. A kilt would probably be best of all." - Teddy Roosevelt, Through the Brazilian Wilderness 

I didn't bring the kilt. But otherwise, we think we've got the bases covered. 

It wasn't all about preparation for the trip to the lodge this day. Once we had our shite together, we convened with the cousins for dinner at the Caxiri restaurant down the street. I ordered the piranha. 

 

It was delicious.  Jared and I also ordered the Amazon Caipirinha -described on the menu as: "Jambu Cachaga, Brazil's national Amazon Spirit combined with a Amazonian herb called Jambu, sugar syrups, lemon, and puxuri seeds."

We agreed that the first sip was pretty bad, but by the end of the drink we ordered another. 

Amazon Adventure Day 1 - Manaus

Manaus and Teatro Amazonas from our AirBnb Window

"Manaos is a remarkable city. It is only three degrees south of the equator. Sixty years ago it was a nameless little collection of hovels, tenanted by a few Indians and a few of the poorest class of Brazilian peasants. Now it is a big, handsome modern city, with Opera house, tramways, good hotels, fine squares and public buildings, and attractive private houses. The brilliant coloring and odd architecture give the place a very foreign and attractive flavor in northern eyes. Its rapid growth to prosperity was due to the rubber trade." - Teddy Roosevelt - "Through the Brazilian Wilderness"

The reader may be wondering why I am quoting our 26th U.S. President as a guide to Manaus on our first full day in Brazil (If you'd like a more current description of this city of 2.3 million souls - click here). 

This is the reason for the Roosevelt reference. While some embarking on a Brazilian Amazon wilderness adventure might prepare by consulting a guide like "Lonely Planet"  or "Trip Advisor", I decided to use Teddy Roosevelt's memoir of his fraught 1913 - 1914 wilderness expedition exploring the unmapped River of Doubt (Later renamed the Roosevelt River / Rio Roosevelt by the Brazilian government). And, since Teddy was a politician, I also read Candice Millard's excellent and detailed recounting of the journey as a cross-check of Teddy's account. 

Both books are highly recommended. It was an extraordinary expedition, launched after Roosevelt lost the Bull Moose campaign for President. A journey that would be unimaginable today, with an ex-President of the United States taking an ill-advised journey down an unexplored river in Brazil's Amazon wilderness. He almost loses his life as well as the life of his adult son Kermit. Some of the expedition are not so lucky. It is a story of disaster, murder, mayhem, conflict, injury, disease, bravery, incompetence, luck - good and bad - and survival. 

I do not understand how this has not been made into a big budget major motion picture with Paul Giamatti playing Teddy [Noted without comment: My brother Harlan says Timothy Chalumet should play Teddy. Make of that what you will]. My intent is to find and insert relevant quotes from the Roosevelt - Rondon Expedition journal into this accounting of our own modest Amazon adventure. But I digress. 

From L to R - Wallach, Roosevelt, Rondon

We landed at Manaus International Airport at 3:30 AM. The expected transport didn't show, so we took an Uber to the previously arranged, sight unseen, AirBnb around 4:30 AM. The picture at the top of this post was taken from that AirBnb room around 9:00 the same morning, just as we abandoned the AirBnb experiment for the Juma Opera Hotel. The less said about this the better. At this point the trip took a 180 degree turn for the better. Much, much better. 

The Juma Opera Hotel

Our intent for this first day in Brazil was to rest and recover from the flights, while acclimating to the weather before flying to the fishing lodge in the jungle a few days hence. After some rest, we spent the afternoon and evening leisurely exploring the hotel, grounds, and neighborhood. Here, in no particular order, some pics from the remainder of the day as we implemented that plan...

Breakfast buffet at the Juma Opera Hotel 
with very welcomed & very needed truly great coffee.

Manaus has serious mural game. 

Teatro Amazonas as seen from the Juma Opera Hotel Rooftop pool. 

We explored the bars, restaurants, monuments and Opera House 
on the grounds of  Largo de São Sebastião across from the Hotel.

We capped off the day with a wonderful dinner and drinks at the Juno Opera Hotel Restaurant (NOTE: At some unspecified point in the future I will go back, look up the menu, and identify these drinks and dishes. For now know that it was all great). 

Everything was better now. We've got our journey off on the right foot.