Gabriel and friends spend every weekend camping out at Punta Chame, a little-known beach an hour and a half's drive from the city. "You just arrived in Panama and you're already at Punta Chame?" asks Amit, a fellow ASW member and kitesurfing addict, as I dip my toes in the Pacific for the first time. "You've certainly started at the top."
Jutting out on a peninsula, a clear day here offers views of the city and, when the tide is out, I have its expansive sands almost to myself, watching the kitesurfers crisscross the gentle waves. Later, as the wind subsides, we convene in the beach's only restaurant to refuel on fresh fish and patacones (thick slices of plantain, squashed and fried).
The surfers are a sociable bunch and I find myself leaving the beach with a collection of phone numbers. After just one week, I feel like I've already begun to establish a small social circle through Gabriel and Xili (who I see many more times). After receiving invites to group dinners, house parties, karaoke nights and even a gig in a rainforest, I become even more convinced that travel networking is the way forward.
I'm starting to feel Panama will be tough to leave, but, fortunately, I have one more week. Next up I'm planning to see the less glamorous side of the country in Colon with Xili, and meet Toyo, a travel-networking member of the Kuna tribe. "Amiga!" he writes, when I tell him I'm in the country. "Welcome to my home. See you next week."
Travel networking etiquette
* Keep it personal
* Contacting someone saying simply "Hello. Can I stay at your house for a week?" is unlikely to elicit a positive response. Introduce yourself and your plans. Where possible make the person feel you've chosen them for a reason.
* Always reply
* If you request to meet someone and they send a personal response to say they won't be able to make it, return the courtesy with a reply rather than just moving straight on to the next person. Communicate
* Keep to your plans. Don't leave your host waiting for you. Don't pull out at the last minute.
* Give a little
* If you're staying at someone's house, bring a gift (maybe something typical from your own country). If they're showing you around town, buy lunch or drinks if you can, and always pay your way.
* Be courteous
* If staying at someone's home, do not use it as a base to party with other people. Fit in with host's schedule. Don't sleep in for hours. Don't overstay your welcome.
* Make sure you spend time getting to know your host. If you're just after free accommodation or a tour guide, you've got the wrong idea.
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