Through the taxi window, I saw the traffic getting slower and the activity along the streets getting livelier. It seemed that the address I had given the driver was the wrong way up a one-way street, a fact explained to me by a random guy on the street who had instructed the driver that the best thing to do was to make me walk. I handed over all the local currency I had, grabbed my bag, and headed off to find my hostel.
After a short walk he dropped me off and asked if I wanted to meet in half an hour for a cup of tea. I have learned that it is almost always a good idea to take a local up on a cup of tea. It shows a respect for the culture, plus you will likely get a few travel tips out of the deal. I agreed, and thirty minutes later I headed back down the hill to meet him.
Crossing the street, we entered an open air restaurant, where he clearly knew everyone. We played the whole get to know you game, and while he was cute enough and nice enough, I was more interested in him in regards to a cultural aspect than as a love interest. As it happened, tea turned into dinner and dinner turned into drinks. He was a fun guy who took me to local spots I could never have found on my own, or if I had, I would never have had the nerve to walk into solo.
I was in between jobs and while we drank he tried to convince me to move to Turkey. Moving from one bar to the next he kept telling friends I was moving to the area to join the business. After a few beers I started asking more logistics questions just to make conversation. How much is rent? After a few more beers, he moved on from asking if I wanted to work for him to asking if I wanted to marry him.
Still playing along, I asked what I got out of the deal. He told me that for a bride price, his family would pay two hundred camels and three hundred goats. In Botswana I was only worth eight cows, so this sounded like a good deal. Right until I thought about what my parents would do with all that livestock. Another reminder this would never work, no matter how many room temperature beers I drank.
