Panajachel, Wednesday

1045 At hotel. Spoke to parents, essentially no news. I slept OKish, woke up cold about 8 but did put a blanket on bed. Got up about 940 but didn't go down to breakfast.

It's pissing it down.

I am half expecting cleaning staff to try turfing me out shortly. I suppose I could go loiter on lower terrace but rather not.

Plan is, in no particular order, to withdraw cash, book a tour for tomorrow (probably 6am start, yay), book a bus to Xela for Friday (as I'll be back too late from tour to do it Thursday and don't want to risk booking last minute on Friday) and book a ho(s)tel in Xela. Need to be careful re location as I may want to spend a few weeks there and I don't want to be accidentally lock myself into an undesirable area by going for a semi-randomly picked hotel and then starting at a random Spanish school nearby. I may also try to go to some Mayan archaeological museum if I can find it.

Weather forecasts all massively unhelpful. I care more about 'pissing it down' vs 'light drizzle' than x% chance of precipitation.

Forecast for tomorrow looks same, a tour round lake in these conditions may be a bit grim but survivable and less grim than hiking in heavy rain. I half feel I shouldn't be a wuss, but a) I was already lukewarm on hiking, as I wrote yesterday b) I see no point going out of my way to 'suffer' - sure, if I'm out on a hike and the weather turns bad no point getting upset, but don't go out of my way to experience this.

Let's have a look re ho(s)tels in Xela.

1112 OK, perhaps didn't go as nuts checking out the alternatives as I could but I've booked something for five nights at about 11 quid a night. No free breakfast but apparently there's a private kitchenette and a fridge which sounds good. Private bathroom too. It sounds like it's stopped raining so let's go out and see if I can get cash and check price of shuttle in a few places and book a tour for tomorrow.

1153 At Las Pitayas restaurant. Maybe getting whole fish, not sure. Think I forgot to order a drink, I was confused because it comes with 'fresco' which I guessed was a drink but no one asked me what I wanted; also supposed to have a choice of chips or rice but I didn't specify and they didn't ask. Meh. Waitress seemed a bit surprised I didn't order anything else, but surely just having one meal is not surprising.

Spoke to 3 agencies re shuttle to Quetzaltenango and also paid more attention to times shown outside some other places. There's essentially only one a day, at 0630 for Q140 (or Q150 at one place). There is one at 1600ish but first place I spoke to told me that wasn't safe - I guess because it would arrive after dark? I had hoped for one around midday. Given I understood these shuttles were esentially for tourists, I am surprised there isn't one not so ridiculously early in the morning - it's only about a 2-3h trip I believe - but there you go. I will go back to first place and book it from them after eating. I got some cash out, I was hoping to stash it in my hidden belt in bogs here but will see how I feel after seeing the food. Was a 5B machine and I withdrew 1k so no extra information on fees etc, used debit card as before.

Yeah, 'fresco' is a drink. Rain seems to have washed insect repellent off my head, quite a few flies here - not a great sign, perhaps - and they seem to be not keeping away.

OK, food pretty good, though usual difficulties with unboned fish. Got some kind of fruit drink with it.

1334 Back at hotel to drop off tickets and cash. Paid 120 for 3 villages lake tour tomorrow and 140 for bus to Quetzaltenango on Friday. May try to have Spanish lesson later, not at all sure, anyway, may pop out and see if that museum is any good.

I am going to get to Xela much earlier than I am allowed to check in. On the other hand, while it creates a certain pressure (I am not sure schools will be open on Saturday), this does open up the prospect of sorting out a school to start at on Monday without needing to start midweek (I don't know if this is or isn't a problem) or waste a week. On one hand I am a little bit reluctant to 'knuckle down' and study, on the other I seem to be struggling to do too much active tourist stuff and so it may be best to spend a bit of time in Xela and feel a bit more comfortable, plus all else being equal it seems best to study near start of trip rather than end so that a) I study during the wet season when it's harder to do things b) I can benefit from my improved Spanish for the rest of the trip.

Having said that, what if I *don't* like Xela and would prefer not to stay there for ages? I guess if I only sign up for a week - which I'd probably do anyway, since I may not get on with the teacher/school even if I love Xela - I am not really doing myself any major harm, I already booked hotel up to Wednesday morning so I'd only be compelling myself to stay an extra 2-3 nights.

Not entirely in mood but going to try that museum now. Apparently entry is Q35 which feels a bit steep but WTH.

1534 At Parrillada Santander for an I hope cheap cup of coffee. Food is not cheap (but not super expensive) but I sneaked a peak at the menu before coming in and coffee should be 5.

Museum (Museo Lacoste de Maya or something like that) was hidden away inside an expensive looking hotel. Moderately interesting if a bit small and didn't feel like great value for money.

Walked over to museum a different route which took me along most of the accessible lakefront. A few touts, not threatening but felt a bit awkward. There are certainly tourists here but unless they're all off on exciting jaunts I suspect they are outnumbered by the staff of the cafes and shops hoping to serve them at this point.

One tout shouted across at me at lakefront about hikes, but I'm obviously not going off on a hike with some random bloke and I have already booked to move on. Maybe I should have done the paragliding while it was quiet, but I'm not too exercised about it, and I'd feel happier doing it later if at all. I suppose my point is that unlike the walking where I *want* more tourists, the paragliding is inherently a solo (tourist) activity so it's less critical, but it's not a huge deal.

Feel a bit bored. I seem to just be hanging around and not really enjoying myself, either actively or passively. I am kind of waiting for it to be late enough to eat again, which cannot be good for my weight.

Maybe things will be better in Xela; if it is bigger and not so touristy it may not feel quite so half-dead. I suppose I should be enjoying the peace and quiet but you can only stare at the lake for so long at one time, and for safety reasons I can't trog out of town alone.

Lots of places offering cheapish alcohol but I'm having a few days off so doesn't help me.

The museum has a poster for a National Geographic "Mayan Atlantis" programme outside, and IIRC mention of a lost city under the lake. The text on the wall inside the museum didn't seem to mention this; it said the artefacts on display had probably be thrown into the lake from the surrounding villages either as waste or as religious offerings.

Quite a nice view of hillside with some terraced fields on from here which I might not have noticed had I not sat here and looked above the shops which line the street.

It's Museo Lacustre de Atitlan, actually.

1706 Back at hotel, perhaps briefly. Bought a bottle of water for 7. I miss shops with prices on the shelves. Especially supermarkets. Coffee was 10 for 2 cups as expected so made it 20.

May go to Gretchel for a second meal. Frankly I am not hungry, and I have a bag of tortilla chips I will probably guzzle regardless, and I sort of can't face what I perceive as the silent disapproval of the staff, but I am going on that tour tomorrow so I don't know exactly what will happen re food. Fuck it, will use bog here and then go to Gretchel. Facing down the disapproval will be good for me.

Was toying with getting fried chicken at one of a few places - some looking pretty 'chain' and thus we might hope reliably hygienic - but apart from not being super cheap, all seem to want to sell you a combo involving a 'salad' which looks in the photo like either coleslaw or potato salad and which I'd rather not pay for and discard.

I do kind of miss the ever-present 'half chicken and chips' option I remember in Peru. But the food is generally good, I just seem to be struggling to sate myself.

1803 Back at hotel. Main lightbulb in room seems to have blown but will make do with bedside lamp rather than drag staff in at this  Hapoint. Food 30, made it 40 as usual, not bad. Need to be at tour agency at 915 tomorrow for tour but that's not too bad.

2002 Stumbled across this (which I had read before): https://jlcollinsnh.com/2012/01/27/travels-with-esperando-un-camino/ Makes sense, sort of what I'm trying to do. It would be better not to be spending so many evenings in my hotel room but I do have my reasons and hopefully I will get better about this.

2307 Noisy and giggly group of women presumably in next room. Mildly annoying. Thought I overheard something about araña earlier but I also thought I heard culebra so hopefully a general discussion rather than anything actually happening. I may have imagined both words, of course.

In bed. Need to be at tour office for 9 tomorrow to be on safe side. Having to take my bloody passport because according to F&CO advice one of the towns we may be visiting is the sole place in Guatemala the authorities may fine or detain (!) you if you can't produce your passport or a certified copy on demand. Probably no one will ask but I fear a fine-collecting ruse on the part of the local authority and can't chance it. Not too happy at having to risk taking my passport out with me, especially around water, but can't be helped.