Guides

We didn’t have a map, and we didn’t think we’d need one to find our hotel in Porto, Portugal’s second largest city. How difficult could it be? My sister and I knew the place was within a mile of City Hall, and surely that would stand out.

How difficult could it be? Well, it turned out we had six, count ’em, six bridges to choose from to get into Porto, a city of more than 1 million people. After about 30 minutes, we found the city center, but then couldn’t find the hotel (or City Hall, for that matter). We ended up on a road that initially seemed promising, only to discover the first two service stations we found didn’t sell maps.

I went into the third place and found the world’s biggest map of Porto. Success! The attendant didn’t speak much English, but she knew where we were on the map, and was game for trying to find where my sister and I were trying to go. Another customer came over, and figured out where we were going. Neither of them knew any more English than I did Portuguese, but they kept marking turns and writing down street names for me. It looked a little daunting but hey, it was progress.

Then a beautiful young mother who looked to be in her early thirties walked over and in her best English said, “I will drive there. You can follow me. It’s not easy.” I was about ready to cry at this generosity. “Are you sure?” I asked. “Thank you so much!”

She smiled and said, “Thank YOU for coming to our country.”

My sister and I waited while she and her son finished gassing up, then followed them. The woman was right–it was complicated, a lot of quick turns on short streets. There’s no way we could have done it ourselves. Finally, at the top of a steep hill with one-way traffic, she pointed. Our hotel was a half block ahead on the left. The City Hall was nowhere in sight. We all waved, and she drove off. We didn’t even get to thank her again.

I thought a long time about that woman, and whether I’d do that for someone here in Tourism Central, USA. Then I thought about it on a larger level. Getting through life and across those bridges often looks easier than it is, even if you’ve got a good map. A kindly guide makes all the difference.