A binge on alcohol and meat, plus hired sex and lodging — all for £1.50

 Kenya

Home is beyond the perimeter of modern Kenya and way off the grid. When the ancient generator goes off in the evening we are left with a sky of untarnished constellations reflecting down on the star-spotted nightjars. Until morning we burn hurricane lamps of the Dietz ‘old reliable’ type. These run on kerosene. When we ran out of this I asked one of the young shepherds called Captain to cycle to the nearest village, which is about 15 kilometres away, on an urgent mission to buy more. ‘Please buy ten litres of paraffin,’ I said. I gave him 1,000 bob, about £7, and asked him to bring change and a receipt. He set off in the morning and I expected him back around nightfall — because the rule here is that, however early a trip begins, a man will never return before evening, armed with an elaborate story to explain his delay.