Panajachel, Sunday

1214 At Atlantis (I think) cafe and bar - came in because they had Kikik (not spelt right - can't see menu outside rom here) de pollo for Q35 including drink and figured I'd try it, it's not that expensive - call it 40 with tip and it would be 30 with tip at Grethel.

Woke up 930ish  but didn't get up til maybe 1030 and didn't leave hostel til 1130ish. Took some laundry in - collecting it at 2, only Q4 a pound there - and booked a shuttle (I asked three places for prices, Q86, Q90 and Q76 so went with last one and they only took Q75 for whatever reason) to Antigua tomorrow. Went for noon option because it avoids rushing around in morning and still gets me there before dark. Not booked hostel or Acatenango tour yet.

Thought I'd try to get laundry in here as unlikely to have private bathroom in Antigua whatever and this way I don't have to worry about running out of clean clothes as soon as I've arrived.

Feel a bit sad to be leaving here which is probably irrational but whatever, as always better to feel sad than relieved.

Half wish hadn't left a Q20 tip at Pana Rock last night but WTF. Hope no one nicked it off the bar. Yesterday moderately heavy on booze at 9 approx 355ml drinks, not too bad and it was quite well spread out. Not sure what to do about tonight or indeed rest of week, especially if I am in hostels and do want to try to be social. But I don't have to drink a lot etc etc and I only have a week to go so can probably have a quiet time once I'm back in UK.

Ears were ringing quite badly when got into bed last night - I hadn't realise it was so loud in there - but seem fine today fortunately.

1305 Was lingering but waiter came over. Got bill, an odd Q3 charge on there but foolishly deposited my Q100 note on before looking properly and it go whisked away. Have made it Q42 with tip and feeling just a smidge played but not big deal. Food not bad all the same. Let's go, I'll wander and get an ice cream or something before picking up clothes. Prob go and find a coffee by lake if possible and maybe book hostel on mobile data.

1502 Asked to come back in an hour when tried to get laundry. Been back at hostel topping up phone. Asked and the Acatenango Tropicana hike here is Q450; this is what I was told it cost and is cheaper than booking it online (which weighs in about Q510). Feel slight misgivings but I've just signed up for Wednesday and handed over Q450. Have also booked in for Mon/Tue night at Tropicana; this is a bit intimidating as it's a 14 bed dorm and I may be a bit old for the place, but TBH it makes sense to stay there given I need to go from there at 8am on Wed. They say they will offer a discount on accommodation after hike so I won't book for Thu night yet until I see what it's like and can talk to them there about the discount. It's not exactly cheap at about nine quid a night, but it's partly my continued dorm experiment and partly a rational convenience pre the Acatenango hike.

1606 La Serenita not open - just a husk. Found place had coffee back on earlier visit at start of trip, it was down nearer the shore than I had been looking. Getting a frankly pricey michelada at Q25 then will stay here for couple of coffees. (Half suspect owner is fetching this from one of many nearby stalls selling it - I only didn't buy at one of them as wanted a nice table to sit at, this place is still not a proper restaurant but has covered area with tables.)

Last night's other person in dorm had gone hours ago but a woman was being shown in as I left. I said "see you later" but didn't otherwise try to strike up conversation as she was unpacking, no idea what etiquette is.

*Quick* look on web - trying to avoid horror stories - suggests I may need to buy gloves and a hat in Antigua before trip, as well as ibuprofen and chocolate/nuts. I got "no tomato sauce" put on booking as dietary requirement; this probably just means will get cheesey sauce on pasta ;-) But if I live on nuts and chocolate bars for the duration it's hardly end of world.

It is a pretty serious looking michelada to be fair, and in a proper glass glass. So maybe it isn't a takeaway from a nearby stall, who knows?

It's misty but can just see volcanoes other side of lake. Sun out intermittently and it's pleasant verging on cool in T-shirt.

Few young people lounging around in bar/common area at hostel earlier but not loads; I suspect it's just not that busy. Not much chat, most people sprawled in sun (why not on sunbeds on terrace?) or had headphones on etc.

1645 Getting coffee; think it's Q7.50 which seems a bit steep (sure it was Q5 here last time; maybe michelada boy pays more) but tolerable as I do have a view here and a table etc.

1724 Chap just came and took my michelada glass back to stall across street, so maybe it was a third party. View cleared a bit, quite nice. Think they are closingish so not sure quite what to do.

Tempted to buy big bag of tortilla chips or the like and guzzle them on hostel terrace. This isn't exactly reasonable, but not terrible. I think I need to take things light on the diet on Tuesday by way of reducing need to shit on the Acatenango hike. Not that this requires me to gorge myself unhealthily tonight, but still.

1740 Big familyish group just turned up so evidently not closing, so ordered another coffee. May get tortillas on way home, not sure. Guess plan for tonight is to just loiter in hostel common area and read on phone. I'm actually fine with that, it just feels a bit pathetic - but what else am I supposed to do? I almost don't want to talk to anyone. So why shouldn't I just sit there? I'm not going to refuse to talk and I don't see why I should have to make myself scarce. May have a beer or two but don't plan to drink a lot.

Kind of miffed at the way this last week feels like I'm dragging things out before flying home. But I am doing Acatenango, which is a Big Thing, and the hostel shit is all experimental so that's sort of useful. Bit worried about getting shopping done prior to Acatenango trip and also a little bit edgy about getting online checkin done for flight. Also getting a bit edgy about limited time for Christmas shopping etc. FFS I still have a week and need to improve attitude and frankly just not worry about this actually unimportant shit. Short term key facts: It's not my problem if no one wants to talk to me, as long as I'm not rude I'm quite at liberty to sit quietly and read, and I am not under any kind of obligation to get pissed every night just because I'm in a common area.

Just asked to pay for michelada as it was from guy opposite who is leaving; not a problem, just saying.

1924 Up on terrace. Had chat with English guy who is emigrating to Canada in January. Some other guys up here, not spoke to them yet. No pleasing me - I want to be alone for a bit so I can eat my overpriced tortilla chips.

Judging from responses to "shout if you are from X" ish stuff at Panarock last night, good chunk of audience were in from Guatemala City - maybe half!?

Sunset pretty nice earlier as finished second coffee, walk along lake front in mostly dark with view also quite nice, felt a bit sad to be leaving.

2004 Just had a few fireworks, which was nice. Had the tortilla chips though some chap came up while I was eating, didn't sit near me and I guess he had to put up with the crunching. Just me up here on terrace at moment.

2059 Another chat with that guy on terrace, come down into bar and lurking in a corner with a beer now. Some guys saying the hostel I'm booked in at is just impossibly noisy and they didn't sleep at all. Fuck knows. Tempted to use that as an excuse to enter conversation and seek information but didn't. Also overhearing stuff about some rave (which I only heard about in passing for first time on a site re Acatenango hike today but is apparently famous) and thinking (not that I'd be likely to go anyway, but I might have just though I could have a few beers) that the transport situation with it sounds like a nightmare and not for me.

I thought the bar at my hostel-to-be shut at 2230 anyway. Fuck it, just see how it goes. I am also I think a pretty heavy sleeper once I am off.

Age and liver concerns aside, it might be nice to be somewhere lively if I can have a few beers and get to know people. Thinking I may also know some people who are staying at the hostel after doing Acatenango with them. Feh, see how it goes, as I keep saying. I could probably have sat somewhere less out of the way here tonight with a view to maybe striking up a conversation but wasn't really overly keen to do so.

2114 Just finished "Curtain" (Agatha Christie). Mixed feelings of jealous and vapidity as I listen to people's tales of their nights out in Antigua. Very mild feelings, don't get me wrong.

Surprising number of people seem to smoke.

I am actually yawning. Prob won't go to bed just yet but could imagine doing so in an hour or so.

2231 Roommate already in bed, quite a lot of ppl in bar, why do I always get the early to bed people? Oh well. Got bag with toothbrush so clean teeth then bed.