(Newswire.net — January 21, 2015) Alajuela, Alajuela — Imagine the surprise of the Vamos team when accomplished NASA astronaut, Franklin Chang, accompanied vacationing family members to the Alajuela office to pick up their rental vehicle.
Chang’s daughter was on a holiday visit from the United States with her husband and baby daughter and stayed in Samara, Guanacaste. This small, beach town is known for its laid-back atmosphere, white sand beaches and calm waves, making it a perfect place for a family with a young child to spend quality time together. Vamos’ newest team member, Jesus Mora, delivered their second rental vehicle to the family in Samara and he was thrilled to meet his hero, Chang, who kindly offered him a smoothie.
Franklin Chang was the first (and so far only) Costa Rican to go into space and thus is a national hero. After years of living in the United States, he returned to home soil to set up the Ad Astra Rocket Company, a scientific station north of Liberia, Guanacaste that works alongside the sister station based in Houston, Texas. The dual centers are dedicated to the research and design of a plasma engine, proposed to make space travel faster and more eco-friendly, as well as contributing to advances in human and robotic commercial space activities.
The rags to riches story of the young man who arrived in the United States with a few dollars in his pocket and later orbited the Earth seems like a fairy tale come true, but there is more to his story. Chang was fortunate to gain a scholarship and graduate years later with a PhD from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Massachusetts; however, throughout his career, he has never forgotten his roots and has worked to help disadvantaged, Latin young people.
January brought further excitement when Eilran Makalov, drummer of indie-punk band, The Johnny Pumps, arrived from New York with his girlfriend. The couple was a day earlier than expected, but after a quick driving lesson from Jesus, Makalov was ready for his drive to Arenal in a manual Bego. His reserved automatic was delivered to them the following day.
Of course, with a new office location opening near Manuel Antonio National Park, Vamos hopes to be welcoming numerous other celebrities to Costa Rica. Come and join them!
About Vamos Rent-A-Car
Vamos Rent-A-Car is a reliable, successful and growing car rental company with offices conveniently close to both San Jose (SJO) and Liberia (LIR) International Airports. With over 200 vehicles in our fleet and three locations to serve you, Vamos offers safe and dependable 4x4s at competitive rates and supported by our personalized customer service. Like yourselves, we were once a visitor to Costa Rica in need of a rental car. We know what customers expect and we deliver! Looking for an alternative to the corporate franchises? Vamos is “All Perks – No Hassles.”