A random snapshot of a visit to NYC, 1 July 2003

Our second day began with a rather mysterious phone call at 5am, which cut off before we could see who it was. During the remaining couple of hours of sleepy time, many weird dreams involving cheese tap-danced their way into my head. I embraced the feeling of triumph upon managing not to scald myself in the shower, even if there did follow a manic search for my deordorant (there follows, in my notes, an insulting paragraph on American deodorant, which I have excised to spare controversy!).

We proceeded to have an uncharacteristically unhealthy breakfast of both a muffin and a cinnamon cake-thing. After much vigorous tooth-brushing, we set about organising a central America-compatible mobile phone [NB: I was on my way to a summer in El Salvador at this point]. Ironically, it took four phone calls and two editions of the Manhattan yellow pages to get the right number.

What to do? We decided not to go to the Stock Exchange, having been warned about the queues. So much to see, by boat, bus or subway - the world is our small, not very fresh oyster. Time for a few words of spontaneous prayer, watched by a sceptical Dodo:

"If I die on this trip, dear Lord, please don't let them Fed-Ex me home. I saw Castaway, If some courier gets shipwrecked, he'll be eating me for weeks. Except... that didn't happen in Castaway."

Eventually we decided to wander along to the Empire State Building via Greeley Square. I gave the lecture on Horace, as was my duty, but since we were heading East on 34th, "Go west, young man," just confused the issue.