MANAUS, Brazil (AP) — Inside the Teatro Amazonas, the familiar chords of a signature aria from Bizet’s “Carmen” resound among elaborate woodwork and Murano chandeliers. Outside, less than a half-kilometer away, the Rio Negro’s inky waters flow toward the Amazon River, and flocks of raucous parrots settle into treetops for the night.

The Teatro Amazonas is the symbol of Manaus, a city carved out of the rainforest, still so remote it can only be reached by plane or boat even though it has grown to over 2 million inhabitants.