Hi!
I'm Don Reid, and you've reached my home on Andetur's
Brazilian Travel Club website. As a professional boat
captain for the last 30 years, during this time,
I have lived and worked in over 57 different countries.
I first went to Brazil in 1973, as captain of a large
ocean tow. We delivered our barge some 3,200 km
up the Amazon to Iquitos, Peru. My 'first' look at the
wonders of this fantastic river has 'haunted' me since.
Brazil is an addiction. Once exposed, you can never
really seem to get enough.
I
returned in 1976, again as a captain, to pick up a 'tug'
and tow in Aracaju (Alagoas). When I arrived, our
departure was delayed for over 60 days. So I had
the chance to get away and explore the interior of Alagoas
and Pernabuco. Again, my impressions were "What an
amazing potential this country had ..."
So,
when the North Sea 'closed down' for American boat operators
in 1979, I went to Brazil
with the idea of finding a new life. I worked as a 'relief
captain' for American oil service companies, living in
Belem, and 'wrote' several stories and articles about
the simple and sometimes almost primitive life of the
fishermen, the people (povo) and the cowboys (vaqueros)
of the interior.
In
1981, I was 'offered' a job working with a F.A.O. team
of fisheries technicians. This only lasted for about
3 months, but was immediately followed by a 'contract'
to explore the entire coast from Para all the way down
to Santa Catarina near the southern border with Argentina,
and to 'interview' fishermen of the interior with regards
to their needs to improve their ability to survive. (InterAmercian
Development Bank). These two contracts resulted
in an 'offer' to work directly with the Brazilian government
(CDI/RN and SUDEPE) 'researching' and 'developing' means
to develop new fisheries, to attact foreign investment
and 'loans' (IDB and the World Bank), and how to 'mate'
these programs with an equal incentive offer from the
Brazilian government. I spent 3 years on this project,
but I gained more experience that I had learned in
20 years and 50+ countries. And my 'addiction' and 'love'
for these simple, honest people .. and their beautiful
un-exploited (yet) country became so strong .. I was now
an 'adopted' Brasilian (brasileiro).
I
have continued working in the offshore oil industry (until
now), but I became fascinated with the communication capabilities
that were opened up via my computer and the worldwide
access by Internet. I started this website as a
means of 'communicating with the world about the simplicity
and beauty of the northeast of Brazil. My wife, Edna,
had been educated in tourism (turismo) at a special school
in Santos, and returned to her native Natal as the first
women in the state to have such a degree. Edna
was iinterested in the potential of her state to attract
tourists.
Edna
and I presently (May 1999) live stateside and operate
our agency Andetur and ABTC in Montegut, a small fishing
village on a bayou in Southern Louisiana, but our hearts
remain in Brazil. I'm now 64 years of age, and I
decided to 'retire' from the 'rat race' two years ago
andf to return to my 'adopted home', Natal, live in and
operate a small pousada (bed and breakfast), and work
with charter fishing, and adventure specialty tours.
We
have become Independent Agents, both as a wholesale consolidator
and an active tour promoter and as an full-service travel
agent, which gives us both the ability and access to develop
the type of tour business we want. The web and my laptop
enable to to work from where I may be at the time.
In Montegut, or on a beach in Brazil, I am in contact
with the world daily.
So,
we extend an invitation to all of our members, friends,
clients, and associates. BRASIL 2001. VIVA!
Support
our little club and E~Group .. and tell the world about
the many attractions of our beautiful Brasil.
June
16, 2001
| Brazil | Tourist
Info
