Border Cross on Bus to Orange Walk
Trip Start
Sep 29, 2007
1
10
221
Trip End
Ongoing
Orange Walk,
Belize
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Bussed out 5 hours to Chetumal, the Mexican border town and caught a first class bus to Orange Walk, Belize a couple of hours later. A stray dog took a liking to Nadine and monkey. We spent our last pesos on a mango carved into a flower and the bus stopped so we could get an exit stamp. Some English tourists were stopped for not having a tourist card and were shafted out of 500 pesos US$50 which the border guard pocketed. This is normal practise and the only way around the corruption is to ask for a receipt if you are not too scared. We dealt with Belize customs easily and declared 3 cigarettes and an orange. I hit my head for the second time this week (Mexicans are shorter than me). This time on a low hanging television in the bus which i am sure was fantastic entertainment for all the locals on the bus.
We noticed a change in the people immediately. The skin is darker and some of these friendly people are Creole originating from Africa and Britain.There is less haggling for business and English is spoken as well as Spanish and Garifuna. They are so proud of their country. The queen is on the coins here. We could get money out after all so saved our US$ which are king for other countries and got some Belize dollars out. We are monitoring who has the cheapest taco deal and we scored 3 for 50cents in Belize. Also the room we stayed in at Akihoto Hotel was US$15 between us and was a cement box with a bed. BONUS, we had our first hot shower since we left San Francisco. Random fact for the day- Belize is famous for the song "La Isla Bonita" by Madonna.
Orange Walk is the agricultural and social centre of Northern Belize. Most towns are small and you can walk from one end of the town to another easily without cabs. There are entertainment centres everywhere which have pull the handle down pokie machines and very cheap Belikins (the standard beer). 1/3 of the people live below the poverty line however, they know how to have a good time and life is simple. We were told there is a festival on tomorrow where they carry a pigs head around the town. Monday is a public holiday. Karaoke is huge here. There are lots of people from Asia living here. The bicycle and car is the vehicle of choice. I saw pigs feet and butt bacon?? for sale. We ate from a local woman a massive plate of rice, beans, chicken, potatoes and sauce for US$3 between us. The hostel was loud at nite as there were televisions in every room an ours was in the interior surrounded by others, i think it may double a s a brothel. The housing is similar to Mexico except maybe a little more stories on the houses and more twig and thatching rather than concrete and brick.
We have booked a tour to Lamanai (Mayan for "submerged crocodile") with Jungle River Tours for tomorrow with some travellers we met in the hostel. This in an archaeological reserve on the New River Lagoon near the Settlement of Indian Church.
