1032 At LMDD, asked for pollo encebollado so fingers crossed. :-)
Woke up maybe 830ish, slept OK but bit fitful. V bright sunlight streaming in made it hard to relax even under covers. Got up 915ish. Shaved, sort of packed. Woman knocked on door about 10 to ask if I was leaving, all v amicable, I checked I was good til midday and said was going out to eat before coming back for my stuff.
Bit edgy over new accommodation but that alone suggests I should be doing it. Did wonder on walk over here if it would be smarter to wander into some random non-internet-bookable hostel/hotel and see what it's like etc. Maybe another time, maybe after these two nights. Not a big deal. If there's a decent area I can hang around in (ideally with a view) and drink coffee will put in a bit of time there, if I manage to chat with anyone great, if not no big deal. I am sort of trying to relax while experimenting with the accommodation, I feel a bit I am wasting time but it's fine and the experiment helps to justify it a little bit.
Pedometer app shows 28697 steps yesterday. Probably plausible.
1218 Food was pretty good - pasta (but with no sauce) instead of rice.
Checked in at new hostel. Sitting on roof terrace - bit of a view over lake though bit obscured. Not seen another guest yet - I am in a 3 bed dorm, I have a single (not a bunk) and at least at present it's just me in there AFAICS. Not a problem. Haven't put bag in a locker as not sure my locks are suitable and the room itself has a lock so figuring relatively secure; have just secured it to desk next to bed with a cable and combination lock and main bag compartment is also sealed with combination lock. TBH apart from camera - and even that is borderline given it has minor screen problems and a scratch on lens - nothing in bag is terribly valuable. Well, there's some cash and cards stashed away in there, so that's not true, but otherwise.
Connected to wifi here but no internet; hope that's only temporary. Have left battery pack charging on my bed, will probably go have litre of beer+coffee at Tacomex or similar in 30-60 mins; I will have mentally got myself settled in here and no need to loiter here all day with no beer or coffee. (I could go to El Rancho as cheaper but figure might go eat there tomorrow so mix it up a bit.)
I might go to a bar in the evening tonight or (more likely) tomorrow. See how that goes. Wondering if I should clear off to Antigua a bit earlier than otherwise planned; I am sure I can find some obscure place nearby to spend a couple of nights if I am bored and/or move on to GC a bit earlier. OTOH I shouldn't overlook the possibility of a night out in Pana.
Very little shade up here on terrace, no wall to stop you walking off the edge either. I am in shade of the stairwell onto the roof but that's mostly it.
This place is right next to previous hotel; I can see it from here, I could see my old room if there wasn't a tree in the way.
Let's read a bit anyway.
Oh, wasn't super impressed that on a Q93 bill the woman (presumably owner) couldn't give me change from a Q100. I said I could wait for change, and to be fair I probably will get the Q7 back, but still.
1322 Still here. Quite comfortable - for all that the chair is extremely rickety and a bit poking out in places - but would sort of like an ice cream and a beer. Wifi seems to be working anyway.
1402 At Tacomex. (Actually think at least three places with that name in town. This one is pretty near El Rancho.) Owner called to me to give me my chage as was leaving, so that's good. Spent it on a Cinta Negra Crispy ice cream (a bit like a magnum with crisped rice stuck to outside); I had two of these at the ice cream stop on hike. Wandered up to Alegre pub to see if it had any indication of when/if live music might be on; Mr Mullet (sp)'s has a pool tournament tonight, Alegre seems to have sports on tonight. Billy Joel's Vienna playing here at TM, somewhat oddly. This makes me think that if I am going out I might as well do it tomorrow. Checkout at current hostel is 10am which isn't ideal after a Fri night out but I could (say) leave bag there, go eat at LMDD and then come back for bag and go over to (say) Pana to check in there. That might mean two heavyish nights (Fri/Sat) out in a row but not too big a problem.
Slight temptation to go stay at Iganua Perdida (apparently quite quiet except for Sat night party) but seems a bit feeble. Also just possibly I could go there Sun/Mon night and it might be a place to meet the guys from Spanish school.
Do need to look into remote booking Acatenango trip tonight, I think. That's the one thing that if I don't do I will probably suffer minor short-term regrets over. Suppose I were to try to book it for Wed/Thu. I could go over to Antigua midday-ish Tues and be reasonably well rested for it. I'd then have Fri to see my teacher, could go over to GC Sat morning and have Sat/Sun nights there. Or I could see my teacher Tues afternoon, perhaps.
TBH if it wasn't for some possibility of meeting guys from Spanish school after their hike I would probably leave on Sunday/Monday, and maybe it's silly to let that prospect alter things.
I need to do more laundry but I could drop some in tomorrow morning and either collect it tomorrow afternoon pre-night-out or on Saturday morning eg after early lunch at LMDD.
Sound seems to be some possibly soapy thing on TV, not a "proper" sound system (it's a bit tinny); could "Vienna" have been played in its entirety on soundtrack of soap?? Maybe it's an oddly outdate music video channel.
1507 Might get a second litre and some quesadillas. Feels a bit excessive but WTF. Don't think this followed by some coffees is going to leave me unable to book Acatenango tonight if I am otherwise inclined, though TBH I expect to just lurk at hostel all day tomorrow between early lunch and going out 5-6ish so plenty of time to book then.
It's hot but on the upper end of pleasant.
1521 I actually do feel a bit pissed now, which I didn't ten minutes ago. I think I'll get quesadillas and coffee for now; may have a second litre later but if the combo that worked so well the other day is working now why mess with it right now?
1534 Quesadillas de pollo con queso at Q15 v good (I added some v spicy pico de gallo they brought me; mouth burning a bit) though not as huge a portion as I'd hoped. Got coffee too.
Sun mildly molesting but all good tables occupied; may move later if one becomes free.
1556 Finished coffee, getting a second litre and moved table - this one offers view of lime plant around edge of opening and is in shade. This is slightly overindulgent but I'll have a tranquil alcohol period in Antigua around Acatenango hike and given my Dad has been told to restrict his fluid intake (don't know why as such) I suspect the slight temptation to have a modest-but-cumulative beer with him every evening over Christmas will be reduced. Also I hate this fucking over-controlled healthy living shite.
I am leaning towards not sticking around in hope of meeting Spanish school crowd after their hike. For all I know - it's a small tourist world - I'll bump into some of them in Antigua. We never arranged to do anything either. And while they're nice enough guys/girls, it's not like I felt super close to them. If I have a Fri/Sat night out (say here/Pana, but will try to be flexible) and then go to Antigua on Sunday or Monday I can try socialising in Antigua (someone recommended a hostel which is friendly without being a party hostel) and it takes the pressure off a bit with Acatenango and meeting teacher. I would (safety permitting) sort of like to go out in GC (either pseudo-local bars safeish central area and/or hostel bar) Fri/Sat night, so that would also argue for getting to GC a bit earlier so I am there on Fri night.
In a way this is end-of-trip schedule pressure coming into play; can't really be helped. Except for mild alcohol issues (litre of beer+coffee while I stare at the lake every day, let's say) it's fine and pleasant and semi-healthy to relax here, and if I had more time I might well think "WTF, let's stick around here til Tue or Wed and relax and if I do see those guys again that's a bonus", but as it is sticking around til at least Tuesday creates pressure elsewhere in my schedule.
Even if I had an open return date (a very difficult thing given eg 90 day travel insurance limit and - a lesser obstacle - requirement of immigration to have a return ticket on entering country) there would still be schedule pressure right now because there's Christmas.
While I won't say this trip has been too short I think I did end up with "only" 70 days because I put off sorting it out while hoping for clarity with Dad's health and then was constrained by Christmas. All else being equal I think I will aim for closer to 90 days for trip in New Year. Though I suspect it will be more expensive, at least any Chile/Argentina part. Just have to see. These trips are what I have "earned" working for last four years, so I'm not going to let myself feel too budget-constrained (as long as I maintain my relatively frugal travel style).
Topping phone batt up from battery pack, which I brought out for purpose. Quite apart from prob having dorm to myself, there's a socket above the bed so should be able to charge phone up as I sleep too, and therefore don't need to worry about depleting battery pack now.
1621 Do feel I sort of overreacted a bit to spiders in bathroom the other night. *But* it's such an intimate environment. Had I needed a piss I might have steeled myself to go in anyway. But I needed a dump, and especially given that fucker on floor (which either wasn't dead, or someone cleared it away at some point in that shortish interval) the idea of sitting there immobilised with my trousers etc resting on the floor with that bastard sitting there (not to mention the one on the wall in the shower) and capable of zipping into the "cover" of my round-ankle trousers at lightspeed - well, it's not an attractive prospect. Meh. OTOH I didn't actually freak out too actively on seeing the fuckers, so some kudos there. And I *didn't* flip out at seeing a more-or-less identical spider to the side of the entrance door at the side of the garden the night before.
1647 Thought other day and reminded now that looking across lake at mountains/hills/whatever they are reminded me of my teenage fractal landscape efforts. (Not that I ever even tried to do shadows, but the way the low-ish sun casts shadows across the hills is strangely evocative of that era.) Would be perhaps interesting to have another go with my improved more experienced adult mind (maths degree, decades of programming experience), but do it old school style - all in software, plotting pixels explicitly - to avoid getting drawn into the quagmire of 3D graphics hardware. It would be an intellectual and aesthetic exercise, not something where I'd need or want 60fps rendering.
1730 Towards end of second litre. Don't feel pissed but not noticeably 'jolly' either. Getting cool but not dark, though light changing. No rush to get home before dark, rough plan is a coffee or two here, then maybe (assuming no other guests) go up and sit mostly in dark (I saw no sign of lighting) on terrace with headphones and some music and a bottle of water for a bit, shower 10ish (be sober by then) and early night. Think I will sleep on my no-school-reunion scheme to leave the lake Sun/Mon (prob Mon) and make some bookings in Antigua for hostel/Acatenango tomorrow midday/afternoon - I plan to take laundry in and go to LMDD earlyish tomorrow, then camp at hotel until 6ish when will go out to El Rancho for dinner and on to a bar for a late-ish night. So bookings etc can be done in plentiful afternoon time.
In unlikely event there are other people at hostel and I get chatting to them all this subject to change, but don't think it's probably there are a lot of other guests even before we get on to my getting chatting skills.
American chap met last night pointed out most of the locals are trilingual, despite it being tempting to dismis them as rustics. Just making the observation as I have just politely declined to purchase textiles/nuts for the nth time. Some of the vendors are v young kids (probably prudent not to buy anyway to discourage the "cuteness" angle of semi-manipulative parents) and some adults. They're always *slightly* persistent but not rudely so. And of course we speak Spanish even though they probably speak something else at home, as do I.
He also described the lake as a bathtub and said that's why the shores are not crammed with developments as they would be in the US; dunno if he's right, but he seemed to be suggesting it wasn't pure restraint stopping it, it was that no one building on the shore could guarantee that the water level wouldn't rise above their building.
He did also - a few mins apart - praise the locals for maintaining their traditional lifestyle and then point out how well off we in the "first" (his scare quotes) world were and should remember it when we saw people lugging big bundles of wood about on their backs. I don't pretend to be an expert, but I can't help but see a connection between these two. Not to say there aren't problems in this country (corruption etc, from my capitalist POV), but I can't help but feel one of the inevitable consequences of maintaining a traditional lifestyle is having to do traditional things like lug bundles of wood around on your back. You pays your money and you takes your choice. Being scrupulously fair, no local has bitched at me about this (I've scarcely had the opportunity to speak to them, of course) - I just felt this intelligent and well-meaning American's attitude was a bit self-contradictory.
1757 Just a random observation that I find the presumably-PCish renaming of Indian's Nose to Rostro Maya (far from constantly observed; many places advertise tours to the former) odd - it's not just like they swapped Indian for Maya, they also switched Nose for Face, and I wonder if there's a story there. Maybe this is Spanish-vs-English rather than PC; I don't think I have heard "Mayan face" in English anywhere. Then again I don't think I've heard "Mayan nose" in English either. Then again again I've not had many actual conversations about this.
Guide book does observe "indio" is a rude word here (not sure how it is in Mexico, or how Indio beer has survived this), from memory and as another random observation.
1807 Another random observation: people have told me, and I observed during 3 day hike, that they clean their teeth with tap water here. I suspect it's a smidge on paranoid side (I shower in the water and always a small chance some will get in my mouth) but I don't; I only drink bottled/filtered water and clean my teeth with that. I otherwise am not fussing; I don't worry about ice in drink or what salads have been washed in. Someone told me this is fine because the locals insist on using bottled/filteted water for such purposes anyway (unlike IIRC in Mexico), but I don't know. Touch wood I've been fine so far; if there's one thing I've learned the hard way it's that you don't drink tap water unless you're fucking sure it's safe, and everything else is less critical; my tooth cleaning attitude is on the margins of this belief. It's not like I'm taping a plaster over my mouth while showering, as Bob Balaban says he did while in India filming for Close Encounters Of The Third Kind.
Don't feel pissed but not too cold either. A bit less than half this coffee left, probably have one more then home. Phone battery at 96% thanks to battery pack so all set for terrace+music+water when do get back.
1814 Hills across lake now just black silhouettes across lighter sky. Didn't see any hummingbirds tonight BTW. (Somehow saying this reminds me of Stewart Lee's "otters" routine.)
Finished coffee, will go up and order another. Have to say that even modulo spider situation, hotel last couple of nights and tonight's new place are so much closer it makes it feel less worrying to be out after dark, even though I'm sure it would really have been fine going to other place too. It's less far to walk which counts for something.
Intermittently reading Agatha Christie's "At Betram's Hotel" today. Was reading her "Halloween Party" yesterday, I should say what I'm reading more often, it might be interesting when I come to look back on this in future.
There are occasional lights of craft on the lake. I'd be both intrigued and terrified to be out on the lake in the dark, I think.
Can see lights of town across lake, of course. Not Panajachel, I think, probably the town to its west (assuming Pana is on the side of the lake I think not the other side; think I observed near start of trip tourist maps in Pana gave me the idea it was on opposite north-south side to reality). Could see Pana from top of volcano when clouds permitted; at least, I think it was Pana, based on the moderately high-rise hotels adjacent to it. Still intend to write more about trip up volcano later; not that much to say really, but deserves a brief write up. It just got cut out of the immediate writing urge in the light of the emergency accommodation change.
1834 Feel I am necking this coffee a bit. Not a problem, just an observation. Bit "worried" in case no longer have dorm to myself or can't have terrace to myself for quiet musicality, but of course those would actually be potentially promising social opportunities - so far my gamble on changing hostel and going to a dorm for social reasons has mostly been a neutral change, contrary to expectations.
1838 Finished coffee. Don't think am pissed. Let's pay and go home anyway.
1849 On terrace at hostel. One other guest having a drink (beer) on second floor landing but otherwise just probably family on ground floor; my dorm is first floor and still seems just me, terrace third floor, no lights, quite a few stars when don't have phone screen on. Will put some music on headphones and mull.
1928 Had to listen to "The Stranger" album after earlier. Worked out nicely. A few fireworks to non-lake side during "Scenes from an Italian restauarant" :-); this also made me turn chair to other side of table and see silhouette of San Pedro volcano.
Bit of a stiff breeze but it's warmish and with fleece zipped up and cap on (as have had on all day, though now backwards so brim doesn't block off view of stars) it's OK so far.
2217 In room. That was fun, inevitably reminded me of similar (though more alcoholy :-) ) night on terrace of hostel on island in middle of Lake Titicaca a few years ago. Moved table over to lee of wall to avoid most of breeze. Bit tempted to stay up longer but was getting a touch cold - just a touch - and even though AFAICS there are no doors on the stairwell I started to get dubious about risk of being locked up on roof overnight.
Some acoustic live music coming from nearby bar. I think tomorrow night I may wander a bit 8pm-ish after dinner and see what appeals. Have to check closing time of hostel and if there's a dog loose, but I think it should nominally be open all night.
Cleaned teeth, not showered - thinking is tomorrow morning I will take laundry in, got to LMDD for early lunch then try to get hair cut and come back to hostel for lurk and volcano write up and onward booking stuff and shower (not in that order).
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