So ten days later, actually fourteen days after getting everything stolen I am thinking of never leaving San Pedro.  I could run a tab at the hostel all winter, take spanish lessons and live the dream ex-pat life.  I am actually a little worried at visiting many peoples favorite place in Central America so early into my trip.  Will I be ruined for the rest of Guate?  Actually it is great to know there is such a nice place to come back to if things get too hectic on the rest of my trip. 

San Pedro is on Lago Atitlan, surrounded by beautiful volcanoes and extremely steep mountain sides.  The town is a mix between sleepy Mayan farmers and lazy hippie *artisans*, as we have taken to calling them.  Despite the places druggie reputation, I have found it nothing if not calm, relaxing and very safe.  My favorite locals are the bread women, or mujers de pan as we call them.  At all times of the day they are selling homemade banana, chocolate, pineapple and cinnamon breads for 5Q, or 70 cents.  They come into restaurants and bars, heft their heavy laundry baskets filled with bread from their heads and start making the rounds.  I have to admit to being a return customer of these hardworking women.  There seems to be a whole family of them.  A little girl sells the same bread during our morning break at school and two old women make the rounds all day and allnight.  When my spanish improves I am determined to get the story of this family.  Are they all related?  How long have they been selling bread?  How much market research did it take to learn to sell chocolate cake in the bars?  Unlike many of the venders, their constant, mild harassments never bothers me.  Even when I say *no gracias* they respond with a silver toothed smile, knowing that tomorrow I will give into their baking prowess. 

I think my lengthy description of the bread women should make it apparent that there really is not much going on here.  Mis amigas and I have decided that it is like being in college again.  We have classes in the morning, meet up for lunch at our favorite sandwich place, or go up to the market for homemade tamales.  Later in the afternoon, after a nap, email or a reading break, we meet up for homework that disolves more into making fun of our horrible spanish.  The homework session quickly turns into dinner and maybe later a movie at one of the many cafes offering free movies, or go for dessert at one of the many beautiful lounge-bars and enjoy the local band.Then we go back to our rooms and start another day… Sometimes we break up the monotony with a hike or kayak ride, but on too many day it gets dark before we even leave town.

I might be ready to leave by the time my credit card shows up…maybe.