Earl Roe Donnell / Lucretia Ayers Donnell
What happens when an intrepid and resourceful sixty-something woman decides in 1953 that a long driving trip, touring the newly opened Pan American Highway in South America, would be just the thing her ailing husband needs? Follow the Donnells in this page turning, true yarn as recorded by Lucretia Donnell in her letters. Robbed, stuck in the mud, marooned with car troubles, with very little Spanish speaking ability, these resourceful love birds travel from Puerto Rico in June, 1953 and end up in Rio in late November without the benefit of the Internet, cellular phone and guide or driver services. Much like today’s backpackers, the undaunted Dallas couple relied on directions from friendly locals often scribbled on scraps of paper, their printed maps proving to be not the most reliable sources. Along the way, Lucretia, a respected Texas artist, sketched as Earl, a cattle and dairyman, admired the livestock he saw. Snug in their 1951 Cadillac sedan, Earl and Lucretia revel in the beauty of the land and the wonders of its culture, ultimately discovering what ties the world together into one people. Magical and compelling, Adventures on the Pan American Highway of South America is an inspiring and spirited true story. 3
