We have decided to extend our stay by Lake Atitlan so booked a nice room in Santa Cruz de la Laguna which lies on the shore between San  Marcos  and Panajachel. 

At Santa Cruz  de la Laguna we spend a couple of  nights in Hotel Posada Arc de Noè right at the jetty and a great place to sit and watch all the boats coming and going.  This hotel is owned by Mayan people and they also do Spanish classes.  We havent signed up for these but still benefit from wee tips and corrections when we are speaking with the staff. The main part of the village  is at the top of a steep hill so we opt for a tuc tuc to do the leg work for us so that we can do some exploring including a visit  to the 500 year old Spanish  church.  After a couple  of relaxing days we take a boat back to Panajachel where  we  have booked  a shuttle bus  back to Antigua which turned out to be a very relaxing 2 hour journey not like the frantic 3   1/2 hour journey when we arrived by the same route. 

 Elaine managed to bag the front seat next to driver so enjoyed the journey immensely. We get dropped off in centre of Antigua and Elaine sits in local French cafe where we have had breakfast on a few occasions previously with our luggage and I search around to find a hotel....when I return Elaine is speaking with a chap who turns out to be a medical student from Philidelphia who is doing a spell at a local rural hospital nr Antigua.  It is interesting talking with him and finding out what life here is like....can't be too bad...this is his second year of doing this in 3 years at University.

I thought I'd done well getting a nice room at a bagain price untill we realised later in the evening that it was right next to a very noisy music bar which went on till 1am.  Thank goodness  I have ear plugs..Alas, Elaine does not but at least the music is good