The wooden balcony floor was more comfortable than expected. Roberta gets up first and wakes me up, we go downstairs and eat breakfast with Omar and Marissa comprising of toast with jam and coffee, a nice change from the typical eggs, beans and tortillas.

Roberta leaves early to go to work at 'El Centro Maya' where she does volunteer work with disabled kids while I laze it out and jam with Gabriel on his Jarana.



Hunger soon motivates me to make a move. I walk to town and get to know its layout. A lady in a streetcorner smiles and sells me two 'tostadas', a small tamale called a 'chuchito' and a warm rice drink all for five quetzales. I go to the dock and take some photos, watching the boats come and go. With nothing to do I'm happy to sit for hours and watch, staring at the vast inspiring view, the volcanoes, the face of the indian mountain and the soothing waters that carry hurried boats full of tourists to their next destination.





Taking a deep breath, I get up and go the Freedom bar to hang out.

Paco and Yuri (the owners of the bar) come over, and we smoke together. Marissa offers me a free drink and I happily accept. A travelling posse of three enters the bar with drums and a cute black dog, we have a chat, they are Guty and Daniel (drummers), Guadalupe (dancer and Gutys girl) and Frijol (dog), they will be performing in the bar this week and staying with Omars in the meantime. We speak about our travels, they know Candido and Soraya (the drum group I'd met in Oaxaca) and ask me for news on what they've been up to and where they'll be playing, since I was the last one to see them. I show them some fotos on my Kodak then go to the bar and talk with Gabriel and Maceo about where I can get a job.

Paco comes over as I drink my final beer. I tell him Im looking for work and I might try a bar up the street,

"See me on Monday" he says, then yells to Maceo,
"On Monday you start training this man!", Maceo nods.

I smile, have a drink and keep on chilling. Things have worked out again.