My third trip to Boquete, Panama was just one week to see my friends and my Panamanian family and to learn a little more Spanish. I half expected to have overstayed my welcome with the family but they were just as welcoming and I really felt part of the family. They seemed unconcerned I had forgotten to return their house key the previous time and said it was now 'Andrew's key'.
Next, in Washington I lucked out and was invited to stay with some Americans whom I had met in Nicaragua. Both of them had worked in the Whitehouse so their work stories (and work gossip) were particularly interesting and a unique insight into Washington. Even though I had only met them for 3 hours in Nicaragua they left a key out for me to arrive while they were at work and also insisted on shouting me for dinners (they credited their hospitality to their Indian heritage).
In New York I visited an Australian friend for his birthday and met his fiancé. We saw a baseball game and did some sightseeing (the Guggenheim was great). The food was also great - it's much better when you go with a local. I was also busy making use of their internet, making plans for a cycling tour.
On the flight to London I was too excited to sleep, I was hoping to get a lot done in just a few days and to then be on my way to Spain with a bicycle. Having missed a night of sleep I went to bed early, but it turned out to be the worst night in a hostel ever. There was a group of young Australian guys in the dorm and some of them had their bags stolen from the room. So there was a lot of talking and excitement until about 11. A couple of hours later I was woken by people having sex on the bunk underneath me. It was just as unsubtle and unclassy as you might imagine. The room was well lit and everyone in the dorm was woken up. Afterwards some of his friends cheered; I guess they didn't hear that during the sex she whispered "you're really bad at this".
Shortly afterwards the lights were on again and there was drunken theorizing about who stole their things - if it was the Americans or the Italians or the Israili guy - and what they were going to do if they caught them. The lights were on again every couple of hours for more of the same. I got to sleep at about 5 and the next day changed hostels.
After a couple of days visiting bike shops in London I found one I liked qnd had good prices. I needed a bike and all of the accessories so they offered me a discount if I bought it all from him. After comparing prices I told him I would buy everything through him so he handed me a big empty box and said "go for your life". Within an hour I had filled it with the bits and pieces I had been researching for the last few days - a trip to the bike shop doesn't get any better than that!
