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Whenever I travel, someone always says:
“Be careful.”
“Watch out for strangers.”
“That’s a dangerous place — don’t take any unnecessary risks.”
And to be fair, I usually am careful.
But sometimes, things go differently than planned.
When we arrived in Johannesburg on Tuesday, we ended up chatting with a man in our hotel lobby.
He gave us local restaurant tips, suggested a few tourist spots — and then offered to drop us off for dinner nearby.
As we climbed out of his car, I joked to my colleague,
“One thing I would never do is get in a car with a stranger in a strange city.”
Well — except for this time.
And again two nights later, when the same stranger gave us a full tour of Johannesburg,
accelerating slightly whenever we passed through what he called “the not-so-safe bits.”
As we drove, he told us why he’d moved his family away from the city ten years earlier —
too many close calls: friends mugged, car-jacked, even held at gunpoint.
He also shared a few of his own brushes with the law —
including spending Monday night in jail for speeding.
Apparently, a small “arrangement” usually solves that problem,
but this time, nothing worked.
So there we were:
in his car, speeding down the highway at 90 miles an hour,
listening to stories of people being shot or arrested for… speeding.
All perfectly normal.
We ended up at Moyo’s, a lively spot in Melrose Square —
touristy, yes, but full of charm and the smell of slow-cooked stews:
oxtail, chicken tagine, seafood curry, ostrich.
All delicious.
We washed it all down with far too much wine, a few Jamesons,
and tequila shots chased with pineapple and Tabasco.
When it got cold, we moved to the cigar lounge —
where, of course, smoking cigars is no longer allowed.
More tequila. More laughter.
And somehow, fewer worries than when the night began.
We made it back to the hotel just before midnight.
No muggings, no car-jackings, no disasters.
Just one more reminder that sometimes, the world is more generous than it is dangerous.
Final score: Stranger – 1, Danger – 0.
If I've told you this once, I've told you a thousand times. You have a horseshoe up your ass.
ReplyDeleteYou may be right. Lucky me!
ReplyDeleteFearless without being foolish - a great combination.
ReplyDeleteWould have been a shame to miss the fun!
DeleteSo sorry to hear about the tragic accident. I suspect he died the way he lived - In the fast lane. If you had scheduled your vacation later, this might have involved you. A scary thought.
ReplyDeleteOnce I was waiting for a very long time to be picked up after work. A friend passed by and offered me a ride. I almost took it. 5 minutes later he died in a head on collision.
All the near-misses in our lives. What makes it our time or not?
DeleteEpitaph: Dirk (not so dangerous stranger) died Friday May 25 , exactly one week since I last saw him. He was on his motorcycle on the Eastern Transvaal, throttle wide open perhaps as was his way. He made an impact wherever he went. The world will be something less without him.I had shown him this little blog and he liked it - asked me to go ahead and identify him. For me this is enough. Hello and good-bye Dirk.
ReplyDelete