🇧🇷 Manaus Travel Diary: Capybaras, Japantown & Heavenly Pastries!

What a cultural cocktail this Amazonian city turned out to be! Beyond spotting the world’s largest rodent (hello, chill capybaras! 🦫), I stumbled upon these gems: 🗼 Surprise Japantown Brazil hosts the largest Japanese diaspora outside Japan! Walked past sushi spots, mochi shops, and Sakura-themed murals—so unexpected in the Amazon! 🎎 🍰 Pastel Paradise Fell in love with pastel (Brazil’s answer to empanadas): 🔥 Crispy shell + molten cheese/heart-of-palm filling ☕ Perfect with strong Brazilian coffee for café da tarde (afternoon tea time!) ⛪ Gothic Grace The local Catholic cathedral stopped me in my tracks: ✝️ Gothic spires piercing the jungle skyline 🎶 Attended a mass where the priest’s Gregorian chants gave me chills (who knew Manaus had such vocal talent?!) 🦥 Wildlife Bonus Capybaras basking like spa-goers at riverbanks Squirrel monkeys playing hide-and-seek in cathedral plaza trees #ManausMagic #CulturalSurprises #JapantownAdventures #BrazilianFoodie