I served my whole time in Bom Jesus da Lapa, a port on the São Francisco River in Bahia. Lapa is a town with an annual religious pilgrimage taking place on the 6th of August. The last time I was there was in the spring of 1966 for a visit. It was a wretched place 35 years ago and I hope things have improved over the years. We were five original volunteers who arrived at the end of October 1962, a married couple and three single guys. The married couple left after three months. We three guys stayed the course, two of us until November, 1964. I was the very last member of the Brazil II group still on duty at the end of November that year, beating Bill Chase by a week or so. The Brazil I group, by the way, started out under the auspicious of the 4H people and were taken over in place in Brazil by the Peace Corps. My group was the first all Peace Corps group sent to Brazil. We reported to training in Norman, Oklahoma with 126 candidates, went to Brazil on a chartered DC-8 during the Cuban Missile crisis with 89 (a couple more came later) and signed off after two years in the summer of 1964 with 56 out of the original 126. Jim
Additional Information: Bom Jesus da Lapa was in the center of the Valle do São Francisco with an airport (VARIG DC-3 one flight four or five times a week in both directions) and as a consequence I saw many comings and goings and had any number of visitors during my time there. I felt at times I was running a Bed and Breakfast (B&B). The drinking water supply, not to mention water for cooking, the toilet and showers, was always critical. READ MORE |
