Luncheon at Hotel Sagres

Luncheon at Hotel Sagres October 8th, 2025

David Jones, the famous stunt pilot and aerial coordinator, hired me over the phone in May of 1990 to work with him in the Amazon on the movie “At Play in the Fields of the Lord.” My job was to maintain the Dehavilland Beaver used in the film. I also was to put the Beaver on floats when it wasn’t in the movie (in the movie, the plane is on wheels). Jones wanted to make extra money flying the actors and big shots to the jungle movie locations. A float plane is a lot faster than a boat.

Well, the float plane crashed in the river in September of 1990. I spent several weeks putting the plane back together, taking off the floats, and putting it back on wheels. I’d had David Jones hire my friend John Bentley from Seattle. John was a Beaver mechanic and pilot. My plan was to have Bentley replace me on the movie so I could go home. I was burnt out.

Six months of 120F, high humidity, daily dysentery, dangerous flying, and bad food had worn me out. I’d lost thirty pounds. It was time to go home.

I’d been staying at the Belem Hilton with the rest of the actors and movie crew, but I’d had to change hotels. My first girlfriend, Gorete, worked at the Hilton. When I took up with her best friend, Heloisa, I had to move.

Jackie Grimwood who was the hotel manager at the Belem Hilton, and a good friend, talked to her friend the hotel manager at Hotel Sagres to get me a room there.

I liked the Hotel Sagres. My room was huge. The bathroom had a long tiled shower with four shower heads. I took a lot of showers in Belem. You sweat all day there. I drank at least 2 gallons of water a day, and the beer was 3.0% alcohol (maybe less). I drank a lot of beer.

The Hotel Sagres pool was on the roof. That’s where I’d spend my Sundays, my only day off. There was an outdoor bar there. I’d drink liters of Cerpa beer put into styrofoam cozies to keep it cold. I’d swim my laps and sit and drink beer under the equatorial sun. Not very smart with my fair Irish skin.

On this October Sunday, I’d finished repairing the Beaver. I’d told David Jones that I was quitting and Bentley could take my place. (John wasn’t too happy about that at first, but he did enjoy flying the Beaver to Boa Vista where the scenes in the movie by Angel Falls were shot).

I just wanted to go home, and was drinking a lot waiting for a plane ticket to Miami from the production office. One Sunday, I walked over to the Belem Hilton and drank 17 vodka tonics at the Tiki Hut bar by the pool. Fabian, the bartender, told me I broke Berenger’s record of 15 gin and tonics. Then he suggested that we charge my drinks to David Jones’ room. So we did.

The next morning, when I showed up at the Hilton for my ride to the hangar at the airport, there was David Jones arguing with the front desk clerk about his room bill. I still laugh about that.

My Belemese friends could tell that I was leaving soon. We’d all had a lot of fun that summer. They showed me the sights of Belem and the countryside on Sundays.

So, this October Sunday, I was up on the roof by the pool at Hotel Sagres when Heloisa, who spoke English, told me that there was a luncheon in the dining room. I was the guest of honor.

This was news to me. In a bit of hazy daze from the sun, heat, and beer, I went to my room and dressed up a bit. I went to the dining room, which I hadn’t been in before. A long table with twenty or more people were sitting around it. I was told to sit at the head of the table.

I ordered the usual shrimp, watermelon, and black bread with many beers. I knew some Portuguese, but I wasn’t fluent. The guests were all laughing and talking in their beautiful lilting language.

They ignored me, which was fine by me. I sat back and enjoyed the scene.

After two hours or so, and much food and drink, they all said goodbye and left. The waiter gave me the bill.

I didn’t mind paying. I think it was about $250 US.

I was king for a day.

TJM