Anyway, while I was staying at my villa on the coast by myself, I had a man try and follow me to my room and get in. This was after I assertively told him that, "No, you do not follow me to my room." when, in broken English, he stated, "I go with you to room. I, how do you say, accompany you to room. You stay alone?"
I got a bad feeling from him when he first approached me in the courtyard and got away as soon as I could. When I reached my villa, I dead-bolted the door, closed all windows (which I hadn't known were open), and turned off the lights. I grabbed my cellphone to call 911, my mace/tear gas, and my utility knife. About 10 minutes after getting into my room, the man knocked on my door. When I didn't answer, he knocked much harder, and called out, "You open up door now?"
Obviously, I didn't. He soon lost interest and went away, but I remained vigilant for a couple of hours afterward. I heard the next morning that he tried to get into another chaperone's room as well that night.
I told someone that I grabbed my mace and knife as a safety measure, and they laughed and said, "I think the pepper spray would have been enough." What I learned from the self-defense class is that you look for anything that can be a weapon. You are fighting for your life.
Despite how scared I was, I began running through self-defense moves in my head in case I had to use them. The guy worked in reception at the hotel, so I felt like he could get a key to my room if he wanted. I was grateful that I had physical skills to rely on outside of my mace and knife.
I have a feeling I'll be back in the class in the fall just to sharpen my skills.
Inside layout of my villa.
Sort of pura vida that night,
Jessica Lynn
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