Say bye to Belize and hi to Guatemala

  Punta Gorda, Belize
Sunday, June 3, 2007

We did not manage to book our flight anymore that afternoon. But that is OK.  Spent a couple of hours at the beach!  We go for diner in our favorite resto, the pickled parrot.

Next morning: we get up in time and arrive at the airport 40 minutes before the plane leaves, which is a lot here.

Our private Captain

9 o'clock plane to Punta Gorda (or P.G.) please. Ohoh. She starts calling. The language is a mixtures of English, Spanish and local dialect but I can follow, more or less. She asks to speak to the Captain. 'Costumers for 9 o'clock flight, murmur, murmur, when then? No, they are here. Murmur, murmur. Hmm, yes, ok' I think this does NOT sound OK. But she says, check in within an hour. That is half an hour late but we are relieved. The plan arrives almost on time, as we expected: empty. The check in girl just called that poor Captain out of his bed and said: costumers!


We like our private plane and private pilot and say bye to Placencia.

Nice ...

... views ...

... up there

After landing, we walk to the harbor and we get grabbed by a local: 'where are you going, what are you doing?' We should know better but we let him take us to a hotel, which is  ... closed. Next one full. It is more than 40 degrees and we have 15/25kg of backpack. I am not walking further on a wild goose chase. Our local friend, Francis, gets us a taxi. He is the first person, so far, who thinks Australia is in Europe. 

Our office

Next hotel, very nice, hosts are from Ohio, has swimming pool, internet, ... , but is more expensive then we planned. We take it. It looks like a whole day passed already and it is nor even 10h30. Dr T saw they also hire: laptops, so we rent one. We spent an hour or 2 on internet in our room and then come out. The view from the hotel is 'interesting': graveyard and swimming pool.

Room with a view

Also on the swimming pool

We take the hotel's bikes and go for a sniffle. It is a ghost town! Everything is closed and the streets are deserted. 

Looking for ferry and food

We cannot book the ferry for tomorrow, there is someone in the office but he cannot book. We bike around town like 3 times before we find 1 (one) restaurant open. Dr T would not have eaten here, it if there was choice. But, all is well, we have a couple of beers and a lovely meal, in fact. And I beat Dr T at cards (again).

We bike back and I can chat to my best friend aka Springmuis! And Bro.

I am ashamed to say: I spend the rest of the day on internet not doing anything useful. I read my newspaper from weeks, Garfield, Johnandjohn, ... . I do not manage to book us a hotel in Puerto Barrios... .

Tomorrow, we take the ferry to Guatemala. We think. We hope.