Jose Alvarado Cortez - the Angel on the Tracopa Bus

Traveling is always an adventure - especially in Latin America - which is one reason why I love it.  One never knows what situations may be encountered or what problem solving skills may be utilized... who may appear to help. 

Here I am, sitting on the bus to San Jose from Quepos, when I decide to text my friend to see if she made it to the airport to pick up her dad.  Right away, she calls me to tell me that her taxi driver says there are no buses leaving for Heredia.  It is absolute insanity in San Jose because tonight is the "Festival of Lights" and the whole town is shut down for the parades and whatever else there is. 

Ok, this is going to be interesting - I think to myself.  Then, I begin to do what I have found works best in Latin America... start talking to people.  I ask the driver if he knows where I might get off to get a taxi to Heredia.  He doesn't know, but says he'll see as we get closer.  Then, a really nice man sitting across the aisle (who had already helped the driver rearrange passengers earlier when there weren't enough seats) chimes in.  He says that he'll call the bus company in Heredia and ask them.  He finds out where the new stops are and decides that he is going to walk through downtown San Jose with me to the new stop. 

I know you can't just trust anyone, but I felt really safe with him.  We walked and talked for about forty minutes through downtown San Jose as it became dusk.  He pointed out landmarks and the red light district, making sure I knew it was dangerous there.  There were people everywhere, roads were all blocked off, it was total insanity.  Without him, I could have done it but I would have been very lost and had to have worked pretty hard to get anywhere.  He even asked the bus driver if the bus was going to Heredia centro;  I had told him I knew that bus, but I guess it made him happy to finish his work in helping me. I felt so happy when that bus left for Heredia, a place I knew well... signifying I was almost "home." 

He told me his name, but all I could remember was some combination of Jose Alvarado Cortez... or it may have been Jose anything.  So, I'll just remember him as the angel on the Tracopa bus who was there to guide me through a potentially challenging situation.  Thank you, Jose.