Letter # 3

In the Del Brasil, January 22, 1942

Dear Parents,

In a little while we'll be in Rio. We'll only stay till tomorrow afternoon. We left Santos today at 5 am, and we've sailed in view of the coast all day. We're all okay here. A guy from Uruguay who is going to the US on a music scholarship wrote a foxtrot for us and between us all we came up with lyrics. It's called “Sailing on the DelBrasil” and has a very catchy melody. In Santos we were like millionaires since for 10 pesos they'd give us 46,000 reis, which is enough money to buy all of Santos. Most amazing are the car horns and the way they drive, always over 60 kilometers an hour through the city, and the young women. You see a lot of people of mixed race and even an Indian who got off the boat to go shopping with his bow and loincloth. An American girl who's going to New Orleans got on the boat. Looks like three more are getting on in Rio. I'll tell you more later. There are no stops between Rio and New Orleans. We should arrive somewhere around the 8th of February. You can write to me at:

A.N. Pagliere
C/o “DelBrasil”
Mississippi Shipping Co. Inc.
New Orleans, LA USA

In a little while we'll be arriving in Rio so I'll finish this letter later and send it. If you send your letter by air it should be okay if you do it by the first of the month. We've arrived. Beautiful view. We're anchored in the bay, waiting for the guy who comes to do the document check. We'll dock within a half hour. I'll get off the boat after dinner. We'll only be here 8 hours. I'll see Ricci and give him the package. I'll see if I can do it without them catching me in Customs.

Send news about the whole family and the name of my new niece.

Everything's going well. In Santos we loaded up with 75,000 bags of coffee, 60 kilos each. Now there's no way we're moving.

Say hi to everyone from me and a big hug for you two from

Ito

Back to Letters / Volver a Cartas