A greeting rings out from a courtyard before you arrive, and the air smells of woodsmoke, ripe fruit and something frying. A scooter hums past, a radio plays next door, and a neighbour waves you toward a plastic chair in the shade. Before anyone asks where you come from, they ask whether you have eaten.
The weather is warm all year, mostly tropical savanna, with a humid south that sees two rainy seasons and a drier north. It suits long afternoons outside. A Local Friend walks beside you instead of ahead, so the day can wander wherever the conversation leads.