Today's City Walk (🇧🇷 Manaus, Brazil)

Manaus was once an incredible city! 🌆 In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, rubber was booming worldwide, and the Amazon region was rich in rubber trees. Manaus became one of the centers of the global rubber trade, attracting massive European investment. The city built many luxurious European-style buildings, and the Amazon Theatre (Teatro Amazonas) became a symbol of its golden age. Manaus was also one of the first cities in Brazil to introduce electric lights, trams, and a running water system! ⚡🚋💧 However, when rubber plantations began in Southeast Asia, Manaus' rubber market collapsed, and the city's economy declined rapidly. Amazon Theatre (Teatro Amazonas) 🎭 Construction began in 1884, and it officially opened on January 7, 1896. At the time, South America was fascinated by Europe, and Paris was seen as the pinnacle of modernity and fashion—so many cities tried to imitate it. The Amazon Theatre’s operas were mostly in French, and the lobby’s ceiling even features Eiffel Tower-style ironwork. 🗼 During the rubber boom, Manaus was called the "Paris of the Tropics", and the theatre became a hotspot for social elites, attracting European artists to perform. The theatre only has about 700 seats. Back then, the most expensive seats were the boxes—not because they had the best view (they actually face each other, not the stage!), but because they were where the rich went to socialize and show off. Today, the opposite is true—the central seats are now the priciest! 💰 The theatre also displays a 30,000-piece LEGO replica of itself! 🧩 In the 1960s, LEGO’s Denmark HQ sent it as a gift to the theatre, but the LEGO factory in Manaus never delivered it. Decades later, the factory was sold, and the new owners discovered the model—finally donating it to the theatre in 2001. Mirante Lúcia Almeida 🌅 A great spot for sunset and river views! The building houses many restaurants and bars, but the walk there from downtown can be a bit scary—you’ll pass through areas with homeless encampments and completely abandoned ruins... 😬 #TheUniqueColorsOfEveryTown #HiddenAlleyCollector