Quetzaltenango, Wednesday

2249 Didn't want to get up as usual. School OK, fairly good chat with teacher most of time.

Was going to try to get a half chicken and chips at little restaurant had seen somewhere near flat after class before going to language exchange at La Luna at 3 but couldn't find it and ended up just having three bread things (cabezonas? I didn't ask - I just asked the price of "those" - but memories of La Vienesa suggest this may be correct) from a little bakery to tide me over during exchange. Conversation fairly good this time, left maybe 5:15.

Not entirely in mood for eating in restaurant after so came back to flat to do washing up (which had lingered a bit last few days) and then went out to try a couple of supermarkets for something novel to cook. Not really successful, in the end just bought some hot dog buns and sausages and had four of them as dinner. Meh. Would have got some fruit too but the Mas y Mas in La Democracia doesn't seem to sell it.

Teacher very slightly tricked me into going into a tour agency he knows (he is a guide so has probably worked with them and this is therefore a sort of decent recommendstion, not a pure kickback situation) and they are going to see if they can sort me out with the 3 day trip to San Pedro on Lake Atitlan a week on Saturday. They could do any day I wanted, but although I might have preferred Sunday I am a single traveller and they need a group; guy seems to think he can probably find some other people but I asked and he said Saturday would be a more popular day to start and thus more likely to find some other people so I went with that. This will be Q600 if they can get other people, and they will let me know one way or another by Sat. This isn't super cheap but I can't see a price in guide book and considering it "replaces" two night's accommodation and a shuttle (I wouldn't like to take public buses with my main bag) which would probably clock in at Q300-400 it's not so bad. Internet is down now so can't trivially check price online and I'd probably just find scary shit about robbers anyway.

Teacher also mentioned - I am aware this might not be a coincidence - that he is taking a group from another school (*not* my old one) to Lake Chicabal on Saturday. I asked (after internal dithering) if this was private or if I could join; he is not entirely sure if they are going to cancel but is going to let me know tomorrow. Just possibly I could get some other students from my school interested but we'll see. I did say to him I did want to go without a group, so I shouldn't be left on hook if this does fall through. If this does work out that is me sorted for my remaining time here (unless the 3 day hike falls through, in which case I may stay here that weekend and do something else then) and means I won't do the volcanoes here, but that's OK, I will have done something and am going to do more around Lake Atitland and Antigua and can do them another time, and if it doesn't work out I'll go over to QT and ask them about a Chicabal tour on Sat. If QT can't help Adrenalina Tours do at least one hike *somewhere* (not very clear from the annotated leaflet I got the other week and just managed to find) every day with no min group size. They are incidentally showing a price of Q650 for the 3 day trip to Atitlan which suggests the Q600 price I've been quoted isn't unreasonable. (They have min 2 people so while I will talk to QT and then AT if the agency my teacher took me to can't organise a group I will try the others, but again would be dependent on someone else looking to do it at same time.)

Teacher left me speaking in Spanish with 3 day hike chap while he chatted with his friend across the room, but he said he was half listening in on our conversation and that it was "correct", so to speak - do more or less believe him, and this is moderately reassuring.

Tried to extend here until next Friday (would switch to a "normal" hotel for Fri night in order to avoid awkwardness over checking out of this flat - where I have to have owner come over to do it - at 5am Sat morning or whenever to leave for trip to Atitlan) on booking.com but it won't let me book for less than 7 days. I have e-mailed owner direct to see if he will let me extend for 5 days; I suspect this will be OK (booking.com *does* - though rather confusingly - show availability if I ask to book for 7 days) and since this is presumably to minimise hassle from short-term stays and I am actually staying in total 20-odd it would seem a bit silly to turn my money down, but who knows. Yes he has the hassle to pop round for money but no need for cleaning or showing me round or turning up at a precise time to give me the keys. If can't get this will probably go to a ho(s)tel on Sunday for the last week here, though this may prove awkward in terms of being on the CdB trip on Sunday from quite early.

2332 Random observation while freezing nads off after shower before bed - may have already said this but can't remember and it's sort of thing may be interesting and/or useful when rereading later or visiting a second time. Not always possible to see them, but there's a distinctive volcano (unlike Antigua, where to my tourist eyes there's a volcano in every direction) to the south of the city which is useful when navigating round, and from all the touristy bits of the city the Monte Sinai church on a hill also lies to south.

Weather today very overcast, we even had a bit of light rain. Temperature fluctuates a bit day to day, we are still sitting out on top (UK 2nd floor) terrace at school and with fleece on and zipped up it's borderline comfortable but some days more than others. There are often a few hours of sun at some point in the day, so as well as not being as cold as a UK winter (the temperature is borderline comfortable with fleece on; the issue is that since there's no heating it's a smidge chilly inside when you're not fully dressed) you also get some sun/warmth relatively often (perhaps even most days, but I'm not sure right now). Based on speaking to people it's mainly Xela which is like this (and other places at similar altitude in this part of country); in Pana last weekend for example was much sunnier (no need for fleece, women practically all in shorts) because it's not so high up. But I do like Xela, and while I do like winter sun, except for the 5 mins when I get up and the 5 mins after a shower I'm fairly happy with the weather here - it's quite nice to be able to wear the fleece (with extra pockets etc) comfortably. Haven't been bothering with sun cream lately, have been wearing cap instead as don't want to risk sunblock/UV interfering with healing of cut from bus luggage rack, and it's generally been overcast enough that (bearing in mind the fleece has a collar as well) I've not worried about getting burnt on back of head or neck.

Anyway, let's go to bed. Still no internet in flat but may force use of mobile data to send this anyway. Tomorrow night may be a moderately late one and although frankly it's already relatively late given my getting up time, it makes sense to try to get as much sleep as I can tonight.