Lesson learnt.

Today I got a little too confident.

This morning I transferred from my Hotel to a backpackers, where I am meeting the other volunteers. The taxi ride was only about 10 minutes so to kill some time before everyone else arrived I decided to wander into town and have lunch at a particular cafe I have come to like. Problem is, I completely overestimated my sense of direction. I had been walking for about 20 minutes, forgot my water, didn’t charge my phone and had no phone credit. I was already sweating and realised, not only was I not going to find the cafe, but I couldn’t find my way back to the backpackers either.

Now, something I should mention about the “taxis” over here… they are crazy! They’re just little cars with big numbers on the side that people drive around, and I had been warned by a storekeeper never to flag one down, always to call a legitimate shuttle . But I was hot and desperate and had no workable phone, so I flagged one down. The other thing about “taxis” over here, they pick up other people on the way to destinations. So the taxi that pulled over already had 3 men in it, all going different places. I asked the driver if he knew where this cafe was (I was still determined to eat), he said yes but they were not going anywhere near it and I would have to catch a taxi on the other side of the highway (I was literally walking in the wrong direction). I felt a little relieved, as I really wasn’t too keen on getting in a car with 3 strange men. SO I crossed the road and tried my luck again, this time I flagged one down that only had 1 other woman in it. I remembered what I learnt in London and told the driver exactly where I wanted to go, with confidence (though inside I was very nervous).

I finally got to the cafe, had a delicious meal, charged my phone and called a familiar taxi to take me home.

You might be wondering what the lesson was – charge my phone? Make sure I have credit or at the very least internet? Remember my water? Yes there are all good things to remember, but lets face it, shit happens. The lesson I really learnt… fake it till you make it! If you say things with confidence and purpose, nobody will question it.