0:00:19 > 0:00:22In the heat and the heart of the Amazon,
0:00:22 > 0:00:25one of Brazil's most exotic venues.
0:00:26 > 0:00:30The world's finest footballers will need more than fancy footwork
0:00:30 > 0:00:33to tackle the humidity of the Arena Amazonia.
0:00:34 > 0:00:38Manaus is nested between the world's largest rain forest
0:00:38 > 0:00:40and one of its biggest rivers.
0:00:44 > 0:00:47During the rubber boom of the 19th century,
0:00:47 > 0:00:49it was an economic powerhouse.
0:00:53 > 0:00:57Manaus still remains fairly isolated from the rest of Brazil.
0:00:57 > 0:01:00Like any other city in the world, it needs its highways,
0:01:00 > 0:01:04but in a place where urban life and nature are so closely knit,
0:01:04 > 0:01:07the only road to Manaus is its river.
0:01:12 > 0:01:15For centuries, it was said that creatures with evil powers
0:01:15 > 0:01:19lurked in the murky waters of the Rio Negro.
0:01:19 > 0:01:21But today, it's a source of hope.
0:01:22 > 0:01:27Children with disabilities swim amongst the pink river dolphins.
0:01:28 > 0:01:31Bototherapy is an experimental treatment
0:01:31 > 0:01:34that uses the endangered mammal's natural ultrasound to heal.
0:01:36 > 0:01:39TRANSLATION: When I started Bototherapy I did not walk.
0:01:39 > 0:01:41I didn't know how to swim.
0:01:46 > 0:01:48The dolphins have a very good energy.
0:01:48 > 0:01:53They pass it on to me through their ultrasound. They're a great help.
0:01:53 > 0:01:54I have started walking.
0:01:54 > 0:01:56Now my spine is flexible, it's stronger.
0:01:56 > 0:01:58It's given me a new life.
0:02:03 > 0:02:06- TRANSLATION:- The World Cup will be very important for the city
0:02:06 > 0:02:10as we'll show the whole world what life is like in the rainforest.
0:02:10 > 0:02:11It's Manaus' very isolation
0:02:11 > 0:02:14that keeps its special connection with the rainforest.
0:02:14 > 0:02:17If we lose that, it becomes just like any other city in the world.
0:02:17 > 0:02:22Nearly a quarter of the Amazon has already been lost to deforestation.
0:02:22 > 0:02:27The concrete and tarmac slowly creep further and further
0:02:27 > 0:02:28into the woodland.
0:02:28 > 0:02:31The First Jungle Infantry Battalion
0:02:31 > 0:02:35are the guardians of the forest, with 25,000 troops,
0:02:35 > 0:02:39they watch over an area that covers about half of the country.
0:02:39 > 0:02:41THEY SHOUT IN PORTUGUESE
0:02:43 > 0:02:47After the demise of the rubber trade in the early 20th century,
0:02:47 > 0:02:49Manaus fell into poverty.
0:02:49 > 0:02:51But in the '60s,
0:02:51 > 0:02:56a tax-free district was established, creating a major industrial centre.
0:02:56 > 0:02:58This is the Traxx factory,
0:02:58 > 0:03:01a seven-year-old Chinese-Brazilian venture.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04This company pulls employers and employees
0:03:04 > 0:03:07from all over Brazil and beyond.
0:03:10 > 0:03:12TRANSLATION: We feel the people of Manaus
0:03:12 > 0:03:14are very honest, easy-going and warm.
0:03:14 > 0:03:18Freedom and equality are very important to them.
0:03:18 > 0:03:21If you are willing, it's relatively easy to integrate into society.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29Designed in China, built in Brazil,
0:03:29 > 0:03:32people here often say they are proud of the blend of cultures
0:03:32 > 0:03:34in this extraordinary city.
0:03:34 > 0:03:36A driving force for the economy.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51TRANSLATION: I love Manaus because of its hospitable people.
0:03:51 > 0:03:52I'm proud to be from here.
0:03:55 > 0:04:00Manaus is the starting point for an Amazonian adventure.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03Its mix of indigenous and European cultures
0:04:03 > 0:04:06with the most extraordinary landscape
0:04:06 > 0:04:09make it one of a kind, even for the locals.