"It's surprising how much of his job is about staying up very late, drinking alcohol, with strangers. Maybe that's all jobs." No, honey, actually that isn't all jobs. And when it sounds too good to be true, it's going to come crashing down on your head sooner or later. Sooner, if you think you're a travel writer being paid big money with a luxury expense account that allows you to gallivant around the world... 
 This was a lot of fun. Our hero isn't the sharpest knife in the drawer, but we have to assume a reasonably skeptical individual wouldn't be in this pickle in the first place. Really a lot of fun...