Maues, the 'Land of Guarana'

Agencies | Updated: 2012-12-05 15:44

A dancer wears an outfit decorated with guarana seeds during the annual Guarana Festival in the town of Maues, 160 miles (256 km) east of Manaus, in the Brazilian Amazon, November 30, 2012. The town of Maues is nicknamed the "Land of Guarana" and is the host to the annual Guarana Festival, with the woody vine being the main source of income for the region. The guarana plant is the source of the seed with which Brazil's famous guarana soft drink is made, and is incorporated into food products as an effective stimulant due to its high concentration of caffeine, twice that of coffee. In the language of the Guarani Indians, guarana means "fruit like the eyes of the people." Picture taken November 30, 2012.[Photo/Agencies]