As I had done my in-country training in
Ponta Porã with Bob Crites, I selected Amambaí, which was about 2 hours
South by bus on a dirt road. It was the Southern most city in Mato Grosso
at that time. Gail Fitzpatrick Scott and I decided to work together and we
arrived in Amambaí in February 1965.
The bus trip from Ponta Porã was
exciting.
The bus was stopped at a military checkpoint out in the middle of nowhere.
A soldier entered the bus and when he spotted us, motioned to get off. A
young Lieutenant asked for our documents. We were only able to understand
through sign language as our Portuguese was barely at the survival level at that
time. He then had our bags removed from the bus and wanted us to open
them. Gail was in a panic and asked me to stop him. Not likely.
When she opened her suitcase, a two-year supply of bright, unpacked and very
white tampons came tumbling out onto the red Mato Grosso soil. One of
those mind photos that stays with you for the rest of your life!
All the passengers on the bus hadn't gotten off to see what was going to happen
to the gringos. When the tampons came rolling out there was a moment of absolute
silence and then everyone started laughing. Gail was dying a thousands
deaths, but I was laughing as hard as everyone else. The Lieutenant had
lost his serious military posture and while laughing told us to get back on the
bus.
About half and hour down the road, the steering went out on the bus. The driver
was turning the steering wheel frantically to the left and then to the right,
but he had no control. The bus left the road and we went bouncing and rolling
through the brush for about 50 feet. Fortunately, the area was flat and no one
was injured.
Everyone got of the bus and over the next several hours, hitched rides on trucks
to get them to Amambaí. Gail wasn't too keen on riding in the back of a
truck over a dirty road so we stayed with the bus. Through our limited
Portuguese and hand gestures we understood another bus would pick us up.
It did, and we arrived in Amambaí around midnight. As I recall, we had
left Ponta Porã around 9:00 a.m. To say the least, one hell of away to
start off your Peace Corps experience.
Amambaí had a population of about 1,000. Today it has a population
of around 20,000+.
Gail stayed on for the full two years. I was unhappy with the Health
Project and transferred to Espírito Santo
where I stay for two years.
NOTE:
Gail passed away in December 2005.
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