2338 Back at hostel. Things worked out astoundingly well, all things considered.
Went to Mono Loco. Very US Sports Bar esque. Probably my fault for ordering draught but had a Wrought Iron IPA - nice enough - and they charged me 44 quetzales. I nursed it while watching some incomprehensible baseball and feeling I ought to leave a tip I shoved 5 under the menu before I left.
It was raining so I went into Sin Something next door. 30 for a bottle of moza which I nursed while watching a grainy analogue ESPN feed otherwise identical to what I'd seen in Mono Loco.
Wandering round the corner I stumbled on some pretty decent live blues at Travel Menu. I went in, sat at the bar and a Californian guy called Jason had a brief chat with me - nothing major but he instigated it and I was grateful. Stayed til the music finished about 2230, during that time bar owner Rory (Irish, but been everywhere and married to a Guatemalan) chatted with me and mentioned - as had Jason - the related Irish bar Snug next door. So I went over there about 2245ish. It was truly tiny, but pretty cool. Had a brief chat with Jason, spoke a bit with Rory and a Guatemalan guy called Josue (*not* Jose) married to a Kansas woman was nice enough to speak to me in Spanish.
The cops raided the place about 2315 - I had read in guidebook the law said close at 0100 but various people had told me 2300 was significant - so we had to leave. Rory told me about a bar open late across parque central which was very official, but no one else was going there and I was/am pleasantly drunk so I said I'd leave it. Walked home and there were a few people on streets and it felt OK. Spoke to a few ppl tonight re safety and although a bit inconsistent advice seemed to be that up to about 0030 a bloke who wasn't staggering around pissed was safe.
So right now I'm a bit pissed but not terribly so. Will probably go back to Snug tomorrow 7-8ish and assume it's friendly enough I can have a chat, and Jason said Travel Menu has great music 4-9ish Sun so prob go back then. In some ways maybe I was/am a drunk idiot but nothing terrible and it's nice to have conversation and feel there's somewhere to go next time I return here.
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