Jeff Bauman arrived in Costa Rica on Friday, along with the Tico who helped save his life after the Boston Marathon bombing in April. Bauman, who lost his legs in the attack, was fulfilling a promise he had made to Carlos Arredondo, according to an article on AmeliaRueda.com.
Karla Burgos, who planned the trip as the logistics coordinator of Caravan Tours, told AmeliaRueda.com that Bauman had told Arredondo he would “come to Costa Rica to eat gallo pinto.”
The website reported that Bauman arrived on Friday with his girlfriend, brother, best friend and Arredondo. The group will spend 10 days in the country, visiting Poás Volcano, Tortuguero on the Caribbean coast and La Fortuna, where Arenal Volcano resides.
The striking image of Arredondo in a cowboy hat assisting the 27-year-old Bauman became iconic in the aftermath of the terrorist attack. The bombing killed three and injured hundreds, and Bauman would later help identify the alleged perpetrator. Since the attack, Arredondo and Bauman have remained friends. They’ve attended sporting events in Boston together. And now Bauman has taken time to visit the country where Arredondo grew up.
We’ve written about Arredondo before, both on his actions during the attack and on a pair of tragedies that befell him several years before the marathon bombing. He has an alluring and energetic persona that has made him one of the best ambassadors for Costa Rica that the country could ask for. We expect he’ll be the perfect tour guide for Bauman’s first trip to Costa Rica.
A photo of Bauman and company at a Cafe Britt coffee shop. From the Jeff Bauman — Boston Strong, True Patriot and Hero Facebook page
Matt Levin is a correspondent for The Tico Times
