Manaus Brazil's Soccer Cities

In the heat and the heart of the Amazon,

one of Brazil's most exotic venues.

The world's finest footballers will need more than fancy footwork

to tackle the humidity of the Arena Amazonia.

Manaus is nested between the world's largest rain forest

and one of its biggest rivers.

During the rubber boom of the 19th century,

it was an economic powerhouse.

Manaus still remains fairly isolated from the rest of Brazil.

Like any other city in the world, it needs its highways,

but in a place where urban life and nature are so closely knit,

the only road to Manaus is its river.

For centuries, it was said that creatures with evil powers

lurked in the murky waters of the Rio Negro.

But today, it's a source of hope.

Children with disabilities swim amongst the pink river dolphins.

Bototherapy is an experimental treatment

that uses the endangered mammal's natural ultrasound to heal.

TRANSLATION: When I started Bototherapy I did not walk.

I didn't know how to swim.

The dolphins have a very good energy.

They pass it on to me through their ultrasound. They're a great help.

I have started walking.

Now my spine is flexible, it's stronger.

It's given me a new life.

-TRANSLATION:

-The World Cup will be very important for the city

as we'll show the whole world what life is like in the rainforest.

It's Manaus' very isolation

that keeps its special connection with the rainforest.

If we lose that, it becomes just like any other city in the world.

Nearly a quarter of the Amazon has already been lost to deforestation.

The concrete and tarmac slowly creep further and further

into the woodland.

The First Jungle Infantry Battalion

are the guardians of the forest, with 25,000 troops,

they watch over an area that covers about half of the country.

THEY SHOUT IN PORTUGUESE

After the demise of the rubber trade in the early 20th century,

Manaus fell into poverty.

But in the '60s,

a tax-free district was established, creating a major industrial centre.

This is the Traxx factory,

a seven-year-old Chinese-Brazilian venture.

This company pulls employers and employees

from all over Brazil and beyond.

TRANSLATION: We feel the people of Manaus

are very honest, easy-going and warm.

Freedom and equality are very important to them.

If you are willing, it's relatively easy to integrate into society.

Designed in China, built in Brazil,

people here often say they are proud of the blend of cultures

in this extraordinary city.

A driving force for the economy.

TRANSLATION: I love Manaus because of its hospitable people.

I'm proud to be from here.

Manaus is the starting point for an Amazonian adventure.

Its mix of indigenous and European cultures

with the most extraordinary landscape

make it one of a kind, even for the locals.