Provincial Palace

In March this year (2009), the renovations done on the Provincial Palace were finished and the museum was open. The building was originally constructed in the 19th century but had become completely dilapidated over the years. So it was amazing to see all the work they did on the structure, not to mention the exhibits inside.
There are five primary exhibits in this free museum: an art gallery, a museum of image and sound where you can borrow and view Brazilian film, an archeological exhibit, a numismatic (i.e. coins) museum and an exhibit on the history of the Amazonian military police.
The reason for the latter, the military police exhibit, is because the building was used by the M.P. and contains prison cells in the basement.
I didn't know about this place, but had just been wandering around town when I stumbled upon it. I went inside and was offered a free tour in English by a young Brazilian. After he told me about the renovations, he took me to the art gallery where another Brazilian explained the works of art to me.
She told me a number of amazing stories, elucidating the meaning behind some of the art. One was a sculpture that appeared as one body with three heads. This was a story of an obese Brazilian artist who went through three stages in life: one where he felt silenced by his obesity, one where he underwent surgery for weight loss, and the third when he had experienced heart failure. Another story was that from a painting showing a girl being eaten by a crocodile. The reason for this was told in a tale of two sisters. They were twins, as a matter of fact, but one of them was strong and dominant while the other was weak and sickly. When the weaker one was misled by her sister into dangerous Amazonian waters and killed, the lies the sister told to cover up her role in the death eventually led to justice: she was eaten by a crocodile herself.
After the art gallery, I went through the archeological exhibit and then, with a guide named Eduardo, the military police exhibit. Eduardo--who by far had the best English of anyone I'd met that day, although it sounded like he picked it up either directly from a fast-talking New Yorker or watching a lot of television--seemed to have a complete routine put together for the tours. He told lots of jokes, such as how the uniform from the '60s, which looked like it was covered in Good&Plenty, was judged too "fruity" for the military police and changed. However, that uniform was made with thick, brown fabric, to which Eduardo said, "What were they thinking? This is the Amazon! So now they changed it to what that guy over there is wearing," at which point he waved and gave a thumbs up to an actual military officer patrolling the exhibit.
The final exhibit on coins--some ranging back hundreds of years--was interesting from a historical point of view, and the guide told me how she had given a tour to a US Senator who had come a few weeks ago, although she couldn't remember the woman's name.
After that tour, I called it a day. The impromptu tour had taken about two hours, but I found myself feeling energized from friendliness I was shown by my guides, and the exhibits were truly interesting. I thanked all of them on my way out, and then headed through the park outside on my way back to the main road to catch my taxi. In the park, there were plenty of couples and families, many of them gathered around a gazebo where a small band was playing music.
It turned out to be a great day; maybe one of the best I spent in Manaus, so I went back the following weekend to pick up a pamphlet and have a coffee at the Palace coffee shop, Cafe do Pina.
I ordered an ice coffee, or at least tried to (instead, I received a cup of coffee and a glass of ice). As I headed back toward the exit. I ran into the first guide who told me all about the renovation during my first visit. He said he was glad to see me again, but he was disappointed that I wasn't out exploring more of Manaus. I told him the museum was great, I had been in the area and I wanted a pamphlet, which he went and got and gave to me, but again with encouragement to go into the rainforest and explore more. He said this with real concern and also with a smile, so I thanked him and told him I would certainly do my best.

Slaass Hotel

The hotel we are staying at, "Slaass Flat Hotel", seems to be pretty popular. Lately it seems there are more and more people staying here since most of the tables are full at breakfast. The breakfast buffet is pretty awesome though, and I would almost spend a night here just to eat the next morning. There is a conference room available here and even on the weekends there seem to be events, which means you have to get there a little early to get the good stuff.

The hotel actually has apartments--hence the word "flat" in the name--which range from small singles to "luxury" suites with kitchens and doubles with two rooms and a kitchen. It is reasonably priced and they keep it clean, with convenient services (like wi-fi) and a helpful staff.
The elevator is probably one of the most interesting features though. It is one of those old-style lifts where you open a regular door and step inside. From there, a sliding metal safety door closes, so it's not one of those ancient gated elevators, but the style is still a bit more classic than I've ever used before on a regular basis.
There is also a pool, although it is rather tiny and I don't think anyone really uses it. I haven't used it myself, but took a look at it last Sunday and it seemed that the deep end was no more than a few feet at best. I ended up laying back on one of the lounge chairs by the pool and reading my book though. An hour later, I realized that I had gotten a bit of a sunburn. Ouch! Well, coming back from Brazil a bit sunburned is probably better than coming back pale white.
We will be staying here next time we are in Brazil, as it seems to be the best deal in terms of space, convenience and cost. Now I just need to figure out what the heck "slaass" means.

Suysei Japanese Buffet

Some of the best food in Manaus, if you can believe it, is at a little Japanese restaurant called Suysei. The façade is rather unassuming, and you have to ring the doorbell for them to open the security gate, but once you are inside, it is a comfy atmosphere. Suysei is run by an elderly Japanese couple and they serve up a homestyle buffet for R$35 (about $18) which includes sashimi, octopus and cucumber tsukemono, a hot dish such as grilled fish or tempura, and a steamed dish such as gyoza (pot-stickers) or oden veggies in broth, not to mention miso soup and steamed white rice. And it's all-you-can eat!
I swear I ate the food sitting right-side-up so I have no idea why this picture uploads sideways.

Splash Pizzaria

When walking around the Amazon Theater, I saw they had a nice outdoor patio area near some restaurants at the back. One of them was Splash pizza; it was about 3pm on a Sunday and apparently nothing is really open in Manaus at that time.
After checking out some other sights, it got dark so I headed back over to Splash pizza. By then there were plenty of people there, so I sauntered in and had a gander at what they had on offer. I ordered two large slices; one topped with sun-dried tomatoes, and the other is cheese & olive with a cream sauce instead of tomato sauce under the cheese. Both tasted great with the Brahma Extra cerveja.

The Jewel of the Amazon

Teatros Amazonas in Manaus, Brasil

On Sunday I decided to take a taxi down to Teatros Amazonas, one of the star attractions of Manaus. After many years of start-and-stop construction, the theater was completed in 1896. Although it wasn't open to tour, they do have free philharmonic orchestras and operas one can attend:
The theater itself is indeed very beautiful, although I had a hard time finding a good vantage point to get a proper picture of it (not that anyone couldn't find some nicer shots online).
It really is an impressive structure, especially when you consider it was built in the 19th century in the middle of the Amazon jungle. In the 100+ years since then, Manaus has grown to a city of almost 2 million, and there are a few other buildings with the same elegance dotted around town. However, for the most part, Manaus is a city like most others. It remains small, all things considered, due to its remote location. However, this adds to the sense of adventure just being here.
Not to mention the annual film festival held every year since 2004 in Manaus which celebrates action films. The event is held at the Teatros Amazonas--as well as the Tropical hotel, considering almost all the famous people who attend stay there--and brings in plenty of big names from the film industry. Our projects' translator (one of the best in Brasil) has, in fact, translated for Steven Segal; not that grunts are difficult to render in any language, but still ;)

Lunch Buffet

There is a fairly good buffet available for lunch at our offices here in Manaus. Here is a picture of the cafeteria, as well as the selection I made the other day. Also, as you can see in the picture, beets seem to be extremely popular in Brazil; they are available every day as part of the large salad bar. There are also always 2 or 3 rice dishes, a large selection of meats, and 1 or 2 pasta dishes. This meal here cost me about R$9 (or $4.50), which seems pretty reasonable.Yes, I've become a fan of orange Fanta.
There is an interesting system in place to pay for lunch. Upon entering the cafeteria, a lady gives you a piece of paper on which a guy writes the cost of your plate based on weight, plus $R2 for a soda. After finishing your meal, you bring the paper back to the same guy, pay for your meal, and he stamps it "Pago". This is then handed back to the lady at the door as you exit.

Morning oddity

On the morning drive to work, while waiting at a stoplight, I looked ahead of us and noticed "a very tall person". Upon closer inspection, a clown on stilts juggling... at 8am... for no apparent audience other than people waiting in their cars at the red light.