Thu 12th 0857 voice typing this in my room didn't sleep really all that well I kept waking up because I was awake around about the right time and I heard people outside I did go outside and sort of watch the sunrise I didn't actually see the sun come up but you know the sky was getting light it was all right you know the photos obviously don't look anything like it but that's just how the photos are not mega dramatic let me be absolutely honest but you know pleasant enough and with the lake and the silhouetted trees and everything it was all all quite nice but not amazing
I'm probably going to go and swim in 10-15 minutes. I think I could have gone now, maybe it's arguably a little bit late. There's this vague cold vibe here because there's this pump running outside the room and there's the wind howling around. And although it's probably pretty warm, as I think I said in the night or something, it feels really cold. Did I put something in about going out shirtless but with a towel and barefoot in sandal flip flops? And it was okay but you'd think you were in the Arctic when you sit in the room listening to it.
So I really didn't sleep that well. My sinuses feel a bit weirdly bunged up. It's not terrible. It's just weird. I think I'm a bit stressy about swimming. The day pass thing opens at 9, which makes me feel a bit better about swimming at this time. I'm sure I could have swum earlier. I imagine the water might be a bit cold, but I shouldn't think it's that cold I'm a bit edgy about the whole jumping thing, but I do want to practice that some more Obviously I'm here all day. I'm here tomorrow morning. I've got to change the dorm, which is a bit stressful excessively stressful really It shouldn't be it's fine. I'm vaguely wondering if I should stay tomorrow night I don't want to make a decision until I've had this morning's swim and see how I'm doing with the jumping and stuff because Silly or not. This does feel like an opportunity to practice when I wouldn't normally get this kind of opportunity I'm also feeling a bit discombobulated and disorganized. It's like I need to move on somewhere I mean, I could stay another night, but maybe I will but I decide that after I've had the morning swim at least But even without that I need to decide about moving on and do I need to get some laundry done? Do I need a private not looking forward to moving on as such because it sounds like a mildly stressful day with three buses.
I don't know if there's going to be anyone else in the water now which makes it feel sort of vaguely edgy or wrong or like I'm not allowed to do it or like it's particularly dangerous, I'm sure that's not true, there might be someone in there anyway, I mean I'm a bit worried it's going to be cold but I don't have to go crazy do I? Anyway, so that's roughly where we are, things aren't really bad but things feel just a touch odd and unsatisfactory in the sort of general planning, moving on, what to do and how to do it kind of way.
0932 back in room after very brief swim. No one else in water, a fee people sitting in restaurant. I spent 5 mins treading water, then did a practice jump or two from the water level platform. I then - feeling slightly foolish - made my way through the few people in restaurant and did a couple of (we are calling it, I vaguely read these heights somewhere) 4m jumps from there trying to keep legs straight etc. Bit scary (remember I did do this yesterday) but not too bad. Bit of water up nose by time I surfaced but didn't freak out, treading water while sort of semi-confidently coughing it out.
It did feel a bit cold and sort of lonely in the water. I thought fuck it, let's do the 8m jump and get it over with, then I will be able to think more cleanly about what future plans are without the "what if I arrange to leave and haven't done it yet?" Uncertainty. So I walked up to the 8m platform and it did look high but to be honest not that much worse than the 4m. And I was a bit edgy and I took a few breaths and then just sort of went for it. And I don't know if I did manage to keep straight, there might been a bit of a bum smack but I am not sure, it certainly didn't have that pain I remember at the cenote, so it probably wasn't too bad. And I got a bit of water in nose and was there treading water and coughing it out but not freaking out or anything.
And to state the obvious even the 4m here is a level above the cenote in some sense because I didn't have a life jacket. Albeit the rock scraping worry existed at the cenote and doesn't here, even if based on that woman I saw just do an incredibly small and casual step off at the cenote the actual risk of rock scraping was probably small.
So while I very much want to practice this some more while I have the chance, I have at least now done it. I vaguely plan to take advantage of the private room while I have it, not that there is much to do.
I had left my key upstairs on desk and it had gone and I spoke to some chap in bad Spanish and got it back off a cleanerish woman and am a bit narked at my poor Spanish but I was a bit on the spot and what the hell.
Top of head hurts a bit from sunburn (not the jump) but not too bad. I should probably have just worn my bandanna into the water at soapapa as I have been doing here.
1012 just went and shaved with a new blade. Not great bit not terrible. Didn't actually draw blood!
I am genuinely pleased with myself for doing the 8m (or whatever ot is) jump but it feels slightly anti-climactic. Also I am still pissed off with myself for fucking up my Spanish when I was trying to get my key back.
This isn't to say I am not a bit scared about the idea of doing the jump again later, it is far from trivial.
Depending in how nice the dorm is once I get in my gut feeling is that I don't actually regret the second day hear but it is probably enough. Maybe if I had a lot more time in hand and had booked ahead and got a private for 3 nights or something or had committed to a dorm for 3 nights an extra night would be good, but while I can maybe have a
Pizza at the reataurant here for lunch and I have some Mani garapinado and can walk over to that shop and have e pupusas later and I do sort of want/need to sit down and think about the next week or so and where I am going after this in particular, I also somewhat anticipate time hanging a bit heavy today and really I think a third day here would be overdoing it. Yes some jumping practice and deep water confidence exposure has some value, but I can probably get the latter at least at one or more lakes in nicaragua based on eg speaking with emile.
Just finishing the dregs of the first 250ml bottle aguardiente, so I can diacard it but also I guess as a kind of way to memorialise the jump.
1025 have mostly packed, going to sit outside room for 26 mins or so before I go check out.
25 mins of course but I mistyped on onscreen ekehbaoqrd and didn't correct it and wanted to make a note to this effect here. Sometimes a figure is off by one and I just roll with it, so read it like that rather than me being super anal about deciding how long to sit outside. :-)
1055 Feels oddly and irrationally distressing to be losing the private room tbh. Anyway, let us finish checking for lost stuff and go talk to reception.
1118 done. The guy who doesn't seem to speak English said I didn't have a reaervation but they had a bed,so I didnt delve into the guy yesterday saying it was sorted. I can't get into the dorm til 3 afaict and I saw no real reason to push. Have left main bag by reception, got daypack with me. Restaurant is apparently open and I may indulge in an early pizza lunch. Paid the usd11 on credit card since I already apparently paid for the first night on credit card and there was no surcharge and while not short of cash (I debatably have too much depending how quick I get to nicaragua) I am a tiny bit worried about running out of small bills while here round the lake.
1126 just ordered personal peperoni pizza and a coffee for 8. Paid cash. APP Eye in the Sky was playing, which I always liked but feels somehow Latin American to me after hearing it at that metro stop in Medellin in 2020.
Might be tempted by a large but it is like 16-17 dollars which feels insane, there was no intermediate option, I don't want to be utterly bloated come 3pm when next swim window opens and I do have Mani garapinado and the prospect of pupusas later.
I am not going to worry until after sinner but despite being moderately pleased to be sitting here by the lake etc,I think I am going to leave tomorrow. The jumping is a nice novelty and I do want to practice but I can do that this afternoon and probably tomorrow morning modulo dorm concerns before I leave. Swimming here is valuable experience but it also feels a bit scary and doing a bit more will be nice but I don't have to go nuts and as I say there are other lakes I can swim in and get that.
If we hypothetically say I leave here 10 I might hope to be on a bus outside the door by 11 at the worst, that probably sees me in San Salvador by 2 and that is probably fine for a cross-town walk or Uber and getting a bus on to san Miguel. If anything special is happening I might overnight in san Salvador but all else being equal probably best to push on and get the travel done in one day they I can not have to get up early the next mornigg and have a casual lazy day of touristing in san Miguel.
1139 last train to London playing.
I am aware tomorrow is Friday 13th btw, I did notice last night before I had done the 8m jump and it maybe gave me a micro qualm about staying and perhaps doing first jump then, but that wasn't a huge factor more a sort of internal wry noticing, and it isnt a big deal now. As I say, I think moving on tomorrow is smart. I won't be full of regrets if I don't come back and just possibly I might come back here for a few days at end of trip if time is available but not enough to eg go on to Guatemala.
Pizza just arrived, thin crust and frankly looks tiny but wtf.
Tasted it. Not super hot. It is decent enough but not raving.
1151 was ok. Sultans of swing playing. And I am simultaneously thinking "how cool to just be sitting here by the lake" and the mention of "south of the river" stirred a weird illogical almost claustrophobic micro stab of homesickness
1216 ok, I have booked a double with shared bathroom for 21 a night in San Miguel for Fri. I may stay more than two nights (or I may not, even if I like it, as it is likely a natural revisit on returning from Nicaragua) but that doesn't mean I have to book more than two nights accommodation and over commit. Might be a somewhat shitty bus day but I think it should be fine in practice and get it all over in one go. It isnt a huge country of course. And then I am near La union and can start looking at getting over to nicaragua. For all I know there will be even shuttle +boat type oackage deals from San Miguel, but not counting on it or paying through the nose if it doesn't save a lot of hassle/time (eg if it saved me having to go to ladder union for a single night before the boat that would be worth something).
Someone just jumped in off the restaurant level aka 4m level. I am not sure about these levels, I find it hard to imagine the upper platform is 4m above the restaurant,just comparing it with my own height j might guess 3m,but maybe this lower deck is 5m or maybe it isnt 8. Not a big deal,just bored pedantry.
I have been nursing coffee but I assume as a resident I can sit here without any purchases if I want. I may go for a walk and get a bottle of coke etc in a bit anyway, and perhaps think about starting to go into water 230pm albeit it depends on dorm access etc to a limited extent.
Fwiw I was jumping today with arms at side. I thought I had been crossing them on my chest yesterday but in hindsight I am not sure. The latter feels like there is less flail risk but it is probably not that big a deal and maybe it feels better with arms at side.
I did have a squirt of my OTC medicine this morning btw (before the jump)
1311 getting buaier. Group of very slightly bro-ish guys having shots. A few women have jumped from the high platform and two of them spent ages up there as I watched and was feeling weirdly stressed waiting for then to jump.
Going to go for a walk and get a coke, not busting but far too early to swim even without worrying about dorm access, but I am slightly bored and feeling slightly stressed (probably nervous about "having" to swim /jump later) and a walk will probably be good.
1407 just got checked into dorm. Got a lower bunk in a sort of cubbyhole in corner,maybe a bit warm right now but there is a fan. Feeling vaguely edgy about swimming/jumping.
Went out to get a coke, at least one of those bloody dogs near ahop had a go and people seemed to be calling it back but I shouted vaya and it wasn't actually too bad. I asked the woman (it was a bloke yesterday) who served me if the dogs were dangerous and she said yes, then she said she'd call her cousin or something (who I subsequently jnfer is the neighbour owning those dogs) and the she told me I could go now and one dog was there but it stayed put and there was a bloke there. I heard her say "tiene miedo" on the phone which was half true but a bit unfair given what I said to her, but whatever.
1645 ok, in restaurant with a bottle of water after swimming and very very welcome very hot shower which I prolonged excessively.
I got into the water about 1520. I started by jumping from top platform "dry", did 5 mins treading water and decided I would do 10 jumps total this session. And I did, and although they were all mildly scary (and irrationally I was excessively worried about losing my bandanna and/or goggles) and I was glad when I had done them all,I did kind of enjoy it too of course.Simple pencil jump attempts, not like the handful of other people jumping who did fancy stuff.I did get some mild bum snack in second and third jumps and I am far from sure j got the proper vertical positioning every time but on the other hand even if I maybe felt it slightly in the bum quite often it was fairly minor and may even be normal and certainly wasn't terrible.
I did 8 mins in the water after the last jump (had to go back to dock briefly as my bandanna had come off as it often did but was just restrained by having deliberately looped goggles atrap on top of it so it was fastened on at the back of head) mostly treading water but a little bit of actual swimming.
Then the hot shower and back to dorm to change, some young woman came in and said hi while I was changing but although she seemed friendly enough she had been swimming and I didn't really like to look at her properly (I had my back to her when she actually came in and said hi, and doing it later felt a bit ogle-y) so I'd probably struggle to recognise her again.
I am going to go out for pupusas at 6. I will probably have a beer or two tonight as last night and I will probably aim to do a jump or two tomorrow morning 9-10ish before I leave. I think checkout is actually at 12 (the hostel is sending an insane number of routine emails and one said this, even though booking. Com emails confusingly say 11-12) but I hope the be leaving a snidge earlier than that without ditching the briefish swim/jump.
Fwiw while far from dead the restaurant and the water feel much quieter tonight than they did yesterday.
I do wonder (and also used it as an excuse for prolonging it) if the hot shower might have helped the sinus congestion thing.
1808 at "great pupusas", they are just opening. Ordered 2 jalapeño and 2 chicharron. With a drink this will probably be 5 USD which isn't ultra cheap but they are not bad and fairly substantial.
The oldish white dog from weird hotel next to hostel was in street when i came past. It didn't make a fuss. (The stroppy ones are probably 5-10 mins walk away right by the small shop.)
1851 back at hostel, pretty decent food, attempted to earwig conversation among presumably family staff, modest success, every little helps I guess. Had pss in dorm and dropped off day-pack and put fleece on and will go have a beer. Looks like only the bottom 3 beds of the 6 bed dorm are occupied.
Wandering briefly to decide where to go and two guys just jumped off the high platform. It is dark, admittedly lots of light and a short swim to dock but I bet it is a touch chilly and nerve inducing, kudos.
1859 come to restaurant and got a chola have place to myself a few people up in receptionish level andl some playing pool (not free here) but on wandering I did feel this was probably best place to wit and no need to overthink it and in any case I don't think there is much chance of random social connection here and I am not desperate or even all that keen.
If I didn't already say, the metal slide into the
Lake which I photographed is at hotel silver whatsitt next door where I went with Emile, it is not at this hostel and I haven't been down it.
2020 been blowing hot and cold over another beer but just got one. Moved into a corner to get out of wind (not that Cole but a touch and worrying about cap blowing off) but not unpleasant. 2x750ml is not insane.
2106 group of young us guys (19-26) formed at bar but they seem low key cool and together. Sitting here semi enjoying listening. the fake oil lamps in the bar are also semi cool if not super convincing. Fwiw btw the whole pirate vibe here is done in a sufficiently tongue in cheek way it does add a nice touch of theme without being ridiculous.
Don't really feel drink but sort of slightly and a bit tired. Will move to bed after this newely finished second chola. May send this early given in dorm and that I don't expect to have any exciting experiences actually getting to bed (and since there is a bathroom in dorm I can go for a piss in night without any dog worries, albeit in practice it was fine last night but dis slightly inhibit me at 3am). Hope I sleep better. Plan is to not over set alarms, if I am up by eg 930 that is super fine and I may just set an alarm for 11 to reduce risk of the damn alarm going off in dorm locker while I am swimming as might happen if I set alarm for 930. Getting up 11 would suck but would not kill a last swim/jump or utterly fuck over my travel and given that fucking non-present forgotten alarm risk (which happened other day in ricks in santa ana as I may have said) I prob have to chance it. Plus I am going to bed early enough and generally sleeping badly enough the chances of sleeping past 930ish by accident feel slim.
2116 just two guys left at bar and barman just played them an el Salvador rap sort of song which I semi recorded (v easy to understand spanish, so can't be proper rap ;-)).
2132 everyone has gone including for the moment the barman and I understand bar shuts 10 anyway and I have very nearly finished. So I will send this now
I'm probably going to go and swim in 10-15 minutes. I think I could have gone now, maybe it's arguably a little bit late. There's this vague cold vibe here because there's this pump running outside the room and there's the wind howling around. And although it's probably pretty warm, as I think I said in the night or something, it feels really cold. Did I put something in about going out shirtless but with a towel and barefoot in sandal flip flops? And it was okay but you'd think you were in the Arctic when you sit in the room listening to it.
So I really didn't sleep that well. My sinuses feel a bit weirdly bunged up. It's not terrible. It's just weird. I think I'm a bit stressy about swimming. The day pass thing opens at 9, which makes me feel a bit better about swimming at this time. I'm sure I could have swum earlier. I imagine the water might be a bit cold, but I shouldn't think it's that cold I'm a bit edgy about the whole jumping thing, but I do want to practice that some more Obviously I'm here all day. I'm here tomorrow morning. I've got to change the dorm, which is a bit stressful excessively stressful really It shouldn't be it's fine. I'm vaguely wondering if I should stay tomorrow night I don't want to make a decision until I've had this morning's swim and see how I'm doing with the jumping and stuff because Silly or not. This does feel like an opportunity to practice when I wouldn't normally get this kind of opportunity I'm also feeling a bit discombobulated and disorganized. It's like I need to move on somewhere I mean, I could stay another night, but maybe I will but I decide that after I've had the morning swim at least But even without that I need to decide about moving on and do I need to get some laundry done? Do I need a private not looking forward to moving on as such because it sounds like a mildly stressful day with three buses.
I don't know if there's going to be anyone else in the water now which makes it feel sort of vaguely edgy or wrong or like I'm not allowed to do it or like it's particularly dangerous, I'm sure that's not true, there might be someone in there anyway, I mean I'm a bit worried it's going to be cold but I don't have to go crazy do I? Anyway, so that's roughly where we are, things aren't really bad but things feel just a touch odd and unsatisfactory in the sort of general planning, moving on, what to do and how to do it kind of way.
0932 back in room after very brief swim. No one else in water, a fee people sitting in restaurant. I spent 5 mins treading water, then did a practice jump or two from the water level platform. I then - feeling slightly foolish - made my way through the few people in restaurant and did a couple of (we are calling it, I vaguely read these heights somewhere) 4m jumps from there trying to keep legs straight etc. Bit scary (remember I did do this yesterday) but not too bad. Bit of water up nose by time I surfaced but didn't freak out, treading water while sort of semi-confidently coughing it out.
It did feel a bit cold and sort of lonely in the water. I thought fuck it, let's do the 8m jump and get it over with, then I will be able to think more cleanly about what future plans are without the "what if I arrange to leave and haven't done it yet?" Uncertainty. So I walked up to the 8m platform and it did look high but to be honest not that much worse than the 4m. And I was a bit edgy and I took a few breaths and then just sort of went for it. And I don't know if I did manage to keep straight, there might been a bit of a bum smack but I am not sure, it certainly didn't have that pain I remember at the cenote, so it probably wasn't too bad. And I got a bit of water in nose and was there treading water and coughing it out but not freaking out or anything.
And to state the obvious even the 4m here is a level above the cenote in some sense because I didn't have a life jacket. Albeit the rock scraping worry existed at the cenote and doesn't here, even if based on that woman I saw just do an incredibly small and casual step off at the cenote the actual risk of rock scraping was probably small.
So while I very much want to practice this some more while I have the chance, I have at least now done it. I vaguely plan to take advantage of the private room while I have it, not that there is much to do.
I had left my key upstairs on desk and it had gone and I spoke to some chap in bad Spanish and got it back off a cleanerish woman and am a bit narked at my poor Spanish but I was a bit on the spot and what the hell.
Top of head hurts a bit from sunburn (not the jump) but not too bad. I should probably have just worn my bandanna into the water at soapapa as I have been doing here.
1012 just went and shaved with a new blade. Not great bit not terrible. Didn't actually draw blood!
I am genuinely pleased with myself for doing the 8m (or whatever ot is) jump but it feels slightly anti-climactic. Also I am still pissed off with myself for fucking up my Spanish when I was trying to get my key back.
This isn't to say I am not a bit scared about the idea of doing the jump again later, it is far from trivial.
Depending in how nice the dorm is once I get in my gut feeling is that I don't actually regret the second day hear but it is probably enough. Maybe if I had a lot more time in hand and had booked ahead and got a private for 3 nights or something or had committed to a dorm for 3 nights an extra night would be good, but while I can maybe have a
Pizza at the reataurant here for lunch and I have some Mani garapinado and can walk over to that shop and have e pupusas later and I do sort of want/need to sit down and think about the next week or so and where I am going after this in particular, I also somewhat anticipate time hanging a bit heavy today and really I think a third day here would be overdoing it. Yes some jumping practice and deep water confidence exposure has some value, but I can probably get the latter at least at one or more lakes in nicaragua based on eg speaking with emile.
Just finishing the dregs of the first 250ml bottle aguardiente, so I can diacard it but also I guess as a kind of way to memorialise the jump.
1025 have mostly packed, going to sit outside room for 26 mins or so before I go check out.
25 mins of course but I mistyped on onscreen ekehbaoqrd and didn't correct it and wanted to make a note to this effect here. Sometimes a figure is off by one and I just roll with it, so read it like that rather than me being super anal about deciding how long to sit outside. :-)
1055 Feels oddly and irrationally distressing to be losing the private room tbh. Anyway, let us finish checking for lost stuff and go talk to reception.
1118 done. The guy who doesn't seem to speak English said I didn't have a reaervation but they had a bed,so I didnt delve into the guy yesterday saying it was sorted. I can't get into the dorm til 3 afaict and I saw no real reason to push. Have left main bag by reception, got daypack with me. Restaurant is apparently open and I may indulge in an early pizza lunch. Paid the usd11 on credit card since I already apparently paid for the first night on credit card and there was no surcharge and while not short of cash (I debatably have too much depending how quick I get to nicaragua) I am a tiny bit worried about running out of small bills while here round the lake.
1126 just ordered personal peperoni pizza and a coffee for 8. Paid cash. APP Eye in the Sky was playing, which I always liked but feels somehow Latin American to me after hearing it at that metro stop in Medellin in 2020.
Might be tempted by a large but it is like 16-17 dollars which feels insane, there was no intermediate option, I don't want to be utterly bloated come 3pm when next swim window opens and I do have Mani garapinado and the prospect of pupusas later.
I am not going to worry until after sinner but despite being moderately pleased to be sitting here by the lake etc,I think I am going to leave tomorrow. The jumping is a nice novelty and I do want to practice but I can do that this afternoon and probably tomorrow morning modulo dorm concerns before I leave. Swimming here is valuable experience but it also feels a bit scary and doing a bit more will be nice but I don't have to go nuts and as I say there are other lakes I can swim in and get that.
If we hypothetically say I leave here 10 I might hope to be on a bus outside the door by 11 at the worst, that probably sees me in San Salvador by 2 and that is probably fine for a cross-town walk or Uber and getting a bus on to san Miguel. If anything special is happening I might overnight in san Salvador but all else being equal probably best to push on and get the travel done in one day they I can not have to get up early the next mornigg and have a casual lazy day of touristing in san Miguel.
1139 last train to London playing.
I am aware tomorrow is Friday 13th btw, I did notice last night before I had done the 8m jump and it maybe gave me a micro qualm about staying and perhaps doing first jump then, but that wasn't a huge factor more a sort of internal wry noticing, and it isnt a big deal now. As I say, I think moving on tomorrow is smart. I won't be full of regrets if I don't come back and just possibly I might come back here for a few days at end of trip if time is available but not enough to eg go on to Guatemala.
Pizza just arrived, thin crust and frankly looks tiny but wtf.
Tasted it. Not super hot. It is decent enough but not raving.
1151 was ok. Sultans of swing playing. And I am simultaneously thinking "how cool to just be sitting here by the lake" and the mention of "south of the river" stirred a weird illogical almost claustrophobic micro stab of homesickness
1216 ok, I have booked a double with shared bathroom for 21 a night in San Miguel for Fri. I may stay more than two nights (or I may not, even if I like it, as it is likely a natural revisit on returning from Nicaragua) but that doesn't mean I have to book more than two nights accommodation and over commit. Might be a somewhat shitty bus day but I think it should be fine in practice and get it all over in one go. It isnt a huge country of course. And then I am near La union and can start looking at getting over to nicaragua. For all I know there will be even shuttle +boat type oackage deals from San Miguel, but not counting on it or paying through the nose if it doesn't save a lot of hassle/time (eg if it saved me having to go to ladder union for a single night before the boat that would be worth something).
Someone just jumped in off the restaurant level aka 4m level. I am not sure about these levels, I find it hard to imagine the upper platform is 4m above the restaurant,just comparing it with my own height j might guess 3m,but maybe this lower deck is 5m or maybe it isnt 8. Not a big deal,just bored pedantry.
I have been nursing coffee but I assume as a resident I can sit here without any purchases if I want. I may go for a walk and get a bottle of coke etc in a bit anyway, and perhaps think about starting to go into water 230pm albeit it depends on dorm access etc to a limited extent.
Fwiw I was jumping today with arms at side. I thought I had been crossing them on my chest yesterday but in hindsight I am not sure. The latter feels like there is less flail risk but it is probably not that big a deal and maybe it feels better with arms at side.
I did have a squirt of my OTC medicine this morning btw (before the jump)
1311 getting buaier. Group of very slightly bro-ish guys having shots. A few women have jumped from the high platform and two of them spent ages up there as I watched and was feeling weirdly stressed waiting for then to jump.
Going to go for a walk and get a coke, not busting but far too early to swim even without worrying about dorm access, but I am slightly bored and feeling slightly stressed (probably nervous about "having" to swim /jump later) and a walk will probably be good.
1407 just got checked into dorm. Got a lower bunk in a sort of cubbyhole in corner,maybe a bit warm right now but there is a fan. Feeling vaguely edgy about swimming/jumping.
Went out to get a coke, at least one of those bloody dogs near ahop had a go and people seemed to be calling it back but I shouted vaya and it wasn't actually too bad. I asked the woman (it was a bloke yesterday) who served me if the dogs were dangerous and she said yes, then she said she'd call her cousin or something (who I subsequently jnfer is the neighbour owning those dogs) and the she told me I could go now and one dog was there but it stayed put and there was a bloke there. I heard her say "tiene miedo" on the phone which was half true but a bit unfair given what I said to her, but whatever.
1645 ok, in restaurant with a bottle of water after swimming and very very welcome very hot shower which I prolonged excessively.
I got into the water about 1520. I started by jumping from top platform "dry", did 5 mins treading water and decided I would do 10 jumps total this session. And I did, and although they were all mildly scary (and irrationally I was excessively worried about losing my bandanna and/or goggles) and I was glad when I had done them all,I did kind of enjoy it too of course.Simple pencil jump attempts, not like the handful of other people jumping who did fancy stuff.I did get some mild bum snack in second and third jumps and I am far from sure j got the proper vertical positioning every time but on the other hand even if I maybe felt it slightly in the bum quite often it was fairly minor and may even be normal and certainly wasn't terrible.
I did 8 mins in the water after the last jump (had to go back to dock briefly as my bandanna had come off as it often did but was just restrained by having deliberately looped goggles atrap on top of it so it was fastened on at the back of head) mostly treading water but a little bit of actual swimming.
Then the hot shower and back to dorm to change, some young woman came in and said hi while I was changing but although she seemed friendly enough she had been swimming and I didn't really like to look at her properly (I had my back to her when she actually came in and said hi, and doing it later felt a bit ogle-y) so I'd probably struggle to recognise her again.
I am going to go out for pupusas at 6. I will probably have a beer or two tonight as last night and I will probably aim to do a jump or two tomorrow morning 9-10ish before I leave. I think checkout is actually at 12 (the hostel is sending an insane number of routine emails and one said this, even though booking. Com emails confusingly say 11-12) but I hope the be leaving a snidge earlier than that without ditching the briefish swim/jump.
Fwiw while far from dead the restaurant and the water feel much quieter tonight than they did yesterday.
I do wonder (and also used it as an excuse for prolonging it) if the hot shower might have helped the sinus congestion thing.
1808 at "great pupusas", they are just opening. Ordered 2 jalapeño and 2 chicharron. With a drink this will probably be 5 USD which isn't ultra cheap but they are not bad and fairly substantial.
The oldish white dog from weird hotel next to hostel was in street when i came past. It didn't make a fuss. (The stroppy ones are probably 5-10 mins walk away right by the small shop.)
1851 back at hostel, pretty decent food, attempted to earwig conversation among presumably family staff, modest success, every little helps I guess. Had pss in dorm and dropped off day-pack and put fleece on and will go have a beer. Looks like only the bottom 3 beds of the 6 bed dorm are occupied.
Wandering briefly to decide where to go and two guys just jumped off the high platform. It is dark, admittedly lots of light and a short swim to dock but I bet it is a touch chilly and nerve inducing, kudos.
1859 come to restaurant and got a chola have place to myself a few people up in receptionish level andl some playing pool (not free here) but on wandering I did feel this was probably best place to wit and no need to overthink it and in any case I don't think there is much chance of random social connection here and I am not desperate or even all that keen.
If I didn't already say, the metal slide into the
Lake which I photographed is at hotel silver whatsitt next door where I went with Emile, it is not at this hostel and I haven't been down it.
2020 been blowing hot and cold over another beer but just got one. Moved into a corner to get out of wind (not that Cole but a touch and worrying about cap blowing off) but not unpleasant. 2x750ml is not insane.
2106 group of young us guys (19-26) formed at bar but they seem low key cool and together. Sitting here semi enjoying listening. the fake oil lamps in the bar are also semi cool if not super convincing. Fwiw btw the whole pirate vibe here is done in a sufficiently tongue in cheek way it does add a nice touch of theme without being ridiculous.
Don't really feel drink but sort of slightly and a bit tired. Will move to bed after this newely finished second chola. May send this early given in dorm and that I don't expect to have any exciting experiences actually getting to bed (and since there is a bathroom in dorm I can go for a piss in night without any dog worries, albeit in practice it was fine last night but dis slightly inhibit me at 3am). Hope I sleep better. Plan is to not over set alarms, if I am up by eg 930 that is super fine and I may just set an alarm for 11 to reduce risk of the damn alarm going off in dorm locker while I am swimming as might happen if I set alarm for 930. Getting up 11 would suck but would not kill a last swim/jump or utterly fuck over my travel and given that fucking non-present forgotten alarm risk (which happened other day in ricks in santa ana as I may have said) I prob have to chance it. Plus I am going to bed early enough and generally sleeping badly enough the chances of sleeping past 930ish by accident feel slim.
2116 just two guys left at bar and barman just played them an el Salvador rap sort of song which I semi recorded (v easy to understand spanish, so can't be proper rap ;-)).
2132 everyone has gone including for the moment the barman and I understand bar shuts 10 anyway and I have very nearly finished. So I will send this now
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