The main restaurant / dining room is already getting busy when I arrive, but I’m soon ushered to my small two-seat table and offered an aperitif. I never really drunk spirits until discovering the pleasure of a gin and tonic on my first safari trip to Africa. When the very first lodge I stayed at offered a sundowner after a very long day in the bush, I was delighted to accept and found I enjoyed the bitterness of the quinine and the slight buzz from the alcohol. This is just perfect, in a tall glass with ice and lemon.

“Excuse me, Sir,” the hovering waiter is at my shoulder.

“Yes?”

“Would you mind if another solo passenger shared your table? I’m sorry to impose, but we seem to have a bit of confusion with the seating plan and are a bit full this evening.”

“Oh, I see. No, I don’t mind at all.” Actually, sitting here eating on my own wasn’t high on my list of favourite things to do when on holiday. It might be nice to have someone to talk to while I eat.

“Thank you, Sir.” He vanishes as silently as he arrived, returning a few moments later accompanied by a very tall, blond-haired man who is perhaps a few years younger than me. I stand politely as he approaches and offer my hand.

“Adam,” I tell him as he accepts my hand and shakes with a firm, warm grip.

“Evan,” he replies. “Sorry to impose.”

“Oh, it’s no problem at all. I wasn’t looking forward to eating on my own anyway. You’re a blessing in disguise.”

“Would Sir like a drink?” The waiter asks Evan as we both sit down.

“What are you drinking?” Evan asks me.

“Gin and tonic.”

“I’ll have the same,” he tells the waiter before turning to me. “That’s a very serious drink, a little old-fashioned, but welcome.”

“I got a taste for them in Africa on a trip there.”

“You’ve been to Africa? Business or pleasure?”

“Oh, very much pleasure. Actually, I’ve been three times now. Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia. One of my hobbies is photography and friends suggested that I accompany them on one of their regular trips. I loved it so much I’ve been back for more.”

“Oh,” Evan continues. “I’ve never been anywhere quite so exotic, but perhaps one day I’ll manage it. I’m not a photographer, but the idea of a safari does appeal. Is it better than watching Attenborough on the telly?”

“Infinitely better. I had no idea what to expect the first time, but when a big bull elephant walked within a few feet of the vehicle, close enough that he could lift his trunk and sniff us as he went past, I was hooked.”

“Elephants then? Your favourite?”

“Possibly. I’ve been lucky enough to visit the Sheldrick Trust release centre at Ithumba in Kenya. The access is out-of-this-world. We were walking in the bush with the orphans and watching them interact with wild elephants. Scary at first, but thrilling.”

“Walking? Isn’t that dangerous? What about lions?”

“Well, I never thought about it. I don’t think much messes with an elephant, even a young one. We would have been protected by the staff if anything out-of-place was going on I think.”

“You’ve seen other animals though?”

“Oh, yes. Dozens of different mammals, both predators and prey. I do have particular soft spots for leopards and painted dogs though.”

“Leopards. Aren’t they really difficult things to photograph, or see even? It must be so difficult to get a good photograph of one. Is it just about being patient?”

“Yes, in most places, but I spent a week in South Luangwa National Park, in Zambia. It’s a leopard-lover’s paradise and we saw them every day I was there. So much more fun than lions. They just sleep all the time.”

“And painted dogs?”

“Oh, they often call them African Wild Dogs, but the name does them a disservice. The conservationists are trying their best to get us to use a more neutral name and I prefer painted dog or painted wolf.

“They are the most amazing pack hunter on the planet. I’ve seen them hunt and make a kill, but watching them interact as a group is much more rewarding. Sadly, they are now very rare, persecuted for eating the occasional goat or cow.”

“You sound very passionate about them. I now hope to see them myself, one day.” Evan tells me with a smile.

Our starters have arrived and we both eat in silence for a few minutes.

“So, Evan, what brings you on a cruise around Scotland?” I ask as we wait for our main courses to arrive. “Neither of us are the expected demographic for a trip like this. I think that’s what caught the crew out tonight.” I take an exaggerated look at the couples around us for emphasis.

“Don’t laugh.” He tells me with a smile. “I’m a travel vlogger. I make videos from all over the world and publish them on YouTube.”

“No, don’t worry,” I reassure him. “There’s nothing wrong with that. Are you successful?”

“About half a million subscribers, so I actually make a good living and get to travel almost all of the time.”

“So, you’re on assignment, so to speak?”

“Yes, but an eight-day cruise is a little longer and more involved than I normally do for a video. It’ll only take a few hours a day to get the footage I need for this one. The rest of the time is a chance for me to relax a bit and actually enjoy the trip as a holiday rather than work.”

“So, you’re internet famous?”

“Well, not exactly famous. I do have a fairly large following on the other social media platforms though. I’ll have to keep that going every day. Quick posts on TikTok or Instagram. Besides, I think that you need at least a million subs to be famous these days.”

“Not really a holiday at all then?”

“Perhaps not, but I’ll find some way to get a little down-time. What about you? Why are you on a cruise on your own? Sorry, I don’t mean to pry and that sounded really nosey.”

“My mother paid for me to get away for a few days out of pity or something!”

“Pity?”

“I’d just walked out on my partner. She felt it would be good for me to get away from the gossip and not so subtle innuendo.”

“Sorry, Adam. I didn’t mean to get personal.”

“Oh, it’s fine. I’m much better off without the cheating bastard anyway. I had wanted to visit Scotland at some point to take some photographs, so it should all work out for the best.”

“Do you still intend to take photos?”

“Yes. Well, I’ve brought the camera. I may still just stay in my cabin the whole time.”

“You’ll still get great scenic shots from your cabin, so even that won’t be a waste.”

“No, don’t worry. I’m sure I’ll end up getting out and about, once I get settled into the shipboard routine. The vibe is sure to rub off, even on someone as boring as me. The people I’ve met so far seem friendly enough.” I try a short smile in Evan’s direction as I say it.

“Does that mean we can dine together again?”

“Sure. It’s nice to have someone to talk to.”

We’ve managed to talk our way through the main course and the dessert, neither of us opting to drink any more alcohol with the meal. I’m still a little buzzed from the wine earlier and the aperitif, but I’m happy to call it a day and try to get caught up on some of the sleep I’ve been avoiding for the last few days at home.

I really do want to enjoy myself, I just need to adjust to a different routine and, because I’ve not planned this trip in advance, I’m not quite in the right frame of mind to be away from my work. Still, I have nothing else to occupy my mind and, without work I’ll soon get bored if I don’t get out and about.

“If you’ll excuse me, Evan, I think I’ll try and get an early night.”

“Sure, Adam. Thank you for the company. I may see you at breakfast.”

“Maybe. If I manage to get up in time for any. Have a good night.”

“Goodnight, Adam.”

When I get back to the quiet of my cabin, I can’t resist taking a look at Evan’s YouTube channel. Actually, he’s really very good. He has a nice sense of humour and it comes through in his narration. He’s really good when delivering to the camera and comes across as both knowledgeable and honest. His production values seem to be sky-high and I can tell he takes a lot of care with his work.

His Instagram is incredibly popular. I don’t do TikTok, or any of the other social media, but I guess that must work similarly for him. He’s very close to that million-follower threshold on Instagram that he talked briefly about tonight. His on-location selfies and stories have that same witty quirkiness that he shows in his videos and he has a good eye for the unusual and the hidden.

I never thought it was possible to cram so much information, and useful information at that, into a video that’s only ten or fifteen minutes in duration. Evan seems to have it down to a fine art, letting the viewer know all the important stuff about a given destination without feeling like one long check-list of data.

He appears to have travelled all across Northern Europe, The Mediterranean, North America and some of the Caribbean, but as he said, never to Sub-Saharan Africa, only Tunisia and Morocco. There are definitely some places on his list that I’d like to see one day. There are photographic opportunities in Scandinavia that I’d love to see and I could even be tempted to go and look for polar bears farther north.

I have to admit to being a little envious of his lifestyle. Travelling almost every week, apparently without a care or commitments seems a little idyllic. There’s probably a catch that I’m just not aware of. 

I can’t, however, picture myself doing what he apparently finds so easy. There’s no way I want to put myself out there in the public eye like that, even though I can see that it is both rewarding and fulfilling. I was asked to give a presentation at a conference a few years ago and had to decline once I realized that I couldn’t stand in front of 300 people and be able to talk coherently.

There’s definitely a little fear of crowds here, but I’ve never really been that outgoing. I was dragged out of my shell by going to university, but I still never felt totally at home in public. Even going to the pub or to a club was sometimes a bit too much of an effort.

I spend far too much time watching several of his videos and eventually fall asleep with my laptop on the bed beside me.