Gilbert

When I was boarding in LA, I saw a guy with a Kippah in the terminal. When I got to Mexico, "mi mejor amigo" (aka fate) put me with this guy, in the long queue to get through customs. We got talking: he's from Israel (Petah Tikva), and was here to meet up with his wife. We were both totally lost and clueless, and we were both happy to have found another Jew in this big city.

Gilbert and I shared a taxi from the airport, which meant more safety and less spending for both of us. It's amazing: no matter where you are in the world, you can always rest easy and feel safe when you're with an Israeli. The taxi driver also persuaded me to stay at a hotel of his choice — instead of a hostel — and this too proved to be a fortuitous turn of fate.