I can think of many examples since my first venture in 2007, but I am going to choose one to share from each country I have lived in. Here is the first.
Italy
I was headed home to Siena, alone, via train from Cinque Terra. I had been exploring the five cities that are woven within the coastal cliffs with a few friends but opted to go home one day early. If I am recalling correctly I believe it was for some extra study time before an exam.
My route from Cinque Terra to Siena involved a few train changes, and the last change on the itinerary that had been printed out for me looked slightly different than the others, or than any of the layovers we had when traveling in the opposite direction. I could not figure out why until I reached the station and inquired at the ticket window. Apparently, the last leg of the trip would occur on a bus.
I should mention here that I would be arriving in Siena at about one a.m., and was reaching this final layover at about 11:30. It was also my first time traveling independently within Italy. I had signed up for the study abroad program alone, but met a fellow student at the Portland airport, and upon arrival in Siena immediately made some more wonderful friends; all of my transportation thus far had included at least a couple of them.
After I showed him my itinerary, the man in the ticket window pointed toward the rear of the train station. I went outside and looked around for a bus. Nothing but some pedestrians, cars and a large white van across the parking lot. I had about twenty minutes until departure time, so I figured it just hadn't arrived yet.
One of the most useful lessons I've learned traveling is that sometimes, you just have to hope it works out.
So I was standing around, hoping it would work out, when I was approached by an Italian man. A kindly face and dressed Italian casual, I would say he was in his late fifties, early sixties. He struck up a conversation and we spoke in a combination of his elementary English and my barely above elementary Italian.
I learned that he had lived in Australia for awhile and that his daughter was currently studying there. He liked it very much but he preferred Italy because there is nothing better than Italian food. I can't remember what else we discussed, but I know soon I was starting to panic because my bus had not yet shown up.
He asked where I was going and looked at my itinerary. He walked around and asked a few people, then came back to me and pointed to the white van across the parking lot. "I think this is your bus," he said. Whaaa? White van, no back windows... not an ideal method of travel for a young girl on her own.
I think he saw my doubt and hesitation, because he walked over to the van with me to check it out. There were several people (who looked normal enough, but who really can tell?) already seated in the van. He spoke with the driver then turned to me and confirmed this was indeed my ride to Siena.
I thanked him profusely, got in the front seat (which was now all that was left) and said goodbye.
I don't know this man's name. I don't remember what he was doing at the train station.
I do know that without him, without his generosity and concern for a stranger, I would never have realized that the creepy white van at the far end of the parking lot at midnight was my ride home.
While this is the main point of the story, the night hasn't quite ended. As the van continued to stop and one by one each passenger alighted, I was soon alone. Just me and the driver. After midnight. I was exhausted, but too paranoid and frightened to let myself doze. "Please let me end up in Siena, please let me end up in Siena" was my mantra as we drove in silence.
Sure enough, or luckily enough, at about one in the morning the van dropped me off near the fortress on the edge of town. It was about a five minute walk home from there, but as I stepped out of the van and thanked the driver I noticed light, a lot of light, coming from the center of the fortress and many people going in and out. There were also lights strung up between telephone poles like they often do over the street at Christmas.
Okay. Why not? It's already been a night that has departed from the norm, why not cap it off. I headed in to check it out. Inside the fortessa a small carnival was going on, complete with rides, games, food and carnies. Later, when I came back to explore with friends, we discovered the highlights ~ the chair twister (the one where you sit in a chair and it swings you around) and a haunted house ride. Got some fantastic pictures out of that.
At the moment, however, I was too tired to venture out beyond the main entrance area. I spotted a booth making crepes, and then noticed it made crepes with nutella. I don't care how full or tired you are, you never, ever, pass up a nutella crepe. I added sliced bananas to my order of nutellaey goodness, paid, and took one last look at the bizarre, colorful turn my night had taken before heading beyond the walls and back onto the dimly lit path to my apartment.
P.S. I got some of the worse stomach cramps ever from that damn crepe. Still totally worth it. Long live Nutella.
