On my own

I had a terrible night and glad when it was over. Breakfast was included but it was about six blocks down the street. They had someone take me there. It was a tiny place and very basic. I decided I couldn’t spend another night in that hotel so on the way back, I stopped at a few hotels to check prices and availability. I also asked to see the rooms. I found one that I liked so went back to my hotel, informed them I was leaving, packed up, paid and went to the new hotel. I am so much happier here! It’s nicely furnished, nice bathroom, a nice manager. It has WiFi though spotty. To use it in the room, I have to sit next to the door! It also has a lovely rooftop restaurant.
After I got settled in my room, I went walking. I planned to see the markets and the slave museum. As I was walking, a young man started walking and talking to me, asking where I was going. I know about these guys. They become your unofficial guide and expect payment. I tried to make it clear to Ashrafu that I didn’t need help but he stayed with me. He did help me navigate the windy maze of streets. He took me through the markets and pointed things out. When we got to the slave museum, he said he would wait for me. The museum was as fascinating as it was horrifying. They kept slaves crammed in a small space for days all chained together. These slaves had been used to bring ivory and other commodities to the coast and then sell them off. They didn’t care how many survived at that point. There was a wonderful sculpture near by that was very emotional. A church was built on top of the area where the auctions had taken place. So interesting.
So Ashirafu was waiting for me and walked me back to my hotel. I knew he expected to get paid. I decided to give him a small bill since he was really helpful and informative. He wasn’t happy with the small built. I explained that I had not hired him so I wasn’t going to give him money for a service I didn’t ask for. I figured I had seen the last of him.
I rested on the bed for a while and it started to rain! It didn’t rain all afternoon but really came down when it did. I went to the lobby to use WiFi for this blog. In between writing, I chatted with the hotel manager about US politics and housing, etc. he was so eager to learn what life is like in the US.
I went up to the rooftop restaurant and had some samosas for lunch. The rained had stopped so I decided to go out for a stroll. I stopped in a tourist gift shop and looked around, then walked toward the water. Suddenly, Ashirafu was walking with me. I was surprised to see him. We walked down to the walkway by the seafront and I sat on a bench. He sat down and we just chatted. I asked him why he was hanging out with me and he said he liked talking to me. I was ready to go back and he told me about a restaurant on a rooftop that had a great view of the water to watch the sunset. So we went up and I offered him a beer. The sunset was lovely and he and I had good conversation. He insisted on walking me back to my hotel. Just before we got there he got amorous and tried to kiss me!! I didn’t expect that! I said goodbye and went to my room. I went back up to the rooftop restaurant and had a light dinner and called it a night.