To Belize and Back Again

Hi Friends,

Last Monday when I went in to extend my permission to stay in the country for another 30 days, I was told, " Oh didn't you know that you can only do that one time?". I would have to leave the country by Tuesday and spend at least 3 days away. The closest places to go outside the CAFTA block are Belize, Mexico, and Costa Rica. So that afternoon I was on a bus to The North to San Pedro Sula. The next day I crossed into Guatemala on my way to Flores (Peten region, near Tikal) to come into Belize through the back door. Always talk with your seat mates and follow up on little details that don't fit. I stayed on the bus when I should have changed. No one mentioned a change, but I did notice the bus had Guatemala written on the front and the driver walked the aisle pointing at everyone and saying Guate'. Well Guatemala is not just the name of the country, it is also the name of the capital. I went about 100 miles down the road before I was able to catch a bus going to Flores. There were 20 Hondurans on the bus, my seatmate told me, who were hoping to cross the border into the US. He had been deported after 3 years there. Unfortunatly his wife, also illegal, was still there with their daughter, who was born in the states. Flores was beautiful, a little island in Peten Lake. I got to see the sunset. The next day I hopped a bus for Belize City. I was the only passenger on a 5 hour bus trip. Got to know the attendant, he used to play soccer professionally until he had a bad drug test. Careful with those steroid creams! Once we got to Belize City, I jumped right on the water taxi for Caye Caulker. What a change of scenery! Caye Caulker is a sandy isle, shaded by palm trees, hung with hammocks, perfumed with barbeque, and moving to a kind of slow reggae rythm. It was a good place to slow down and to meet people from all over the world. I tried out some snorkeling, but discovered that the really good place to see fish was on the reef. So I broke down and went on a tour. We sailed out to the reef on a sailboat. The captain and mate joined us in the water showing where to look. We saw everything! Fish ( a rainbow spectrum, striped and polka dotted),Sharks, Rays, Turtles, and a Manatee. To look at it you'd think it couldn't be anything but clumsy, but that's why we don't make hasty judgements. It described grace with it's flippers and tail! We enjoyed a great day sailing, swimming, talking, and eating. I recommend the outfit, Raggamuffin Tours. Too soon, it was time to go home. I got on a bus from Belize City going South to Punta Gorda. Belize is a beautiful country. I especially liked the mountain jungles. Super Green! The people are a real mix too. Garifuna ( descendants of escaped African slaves who settled all along the southern edge of the Caribbean), Ladino, Maya, E. Indian, Chinese, German (Mennonites). The Belizians are great cooks, they all know barbeque, and , if you're hungry, will sell you a plate. I've had no difficulty getting around, everyone has been helpful and no one has taken advantage my gringo disability. From Punta Gorda I took a launch to Puerto Barrios, Guatemala. We bounced along in vain trying to flatten out the waves. I had cleverly picked out my seat so as to recieve the maximum spray of salty sea in my face. I arrived as fresh as frond of seaweed cast up on the beach. Then managed to sidestep a van driver who was going to take me across the border for only $40 and found a busito in the market that took me there for 20 Quetzales ( $2.50). Then walked across the border and caught a public bus to Puerto Cortez. Since it was already 3PM I chose to stay in the beach town of Travesia. It turned out to be a good choice. I found a great hotel( clean, reasonable, right on the beach, great cook, and friendly owners) La Frontera del Caribe. The next morning sitting on the beach I watched Garifuna fisherman jump out of their boat with a net. They worked it while swimming and later waded ashore with 3 large Palomita. Made me think of the disciples fishing in Galilee. My landlady Marilyn, took me into town the next day, so I could get to a bank. It turned out that her husband, Jose, was on his way to visit his family down south and would be passing through Tegucigalpa. We split the gas , I got home before dark, and made a new friend. The only trouble we ran into was being stalled for 45 minutes due to a small group of demonstrators who set fire to some tires on the highway. The political situation is still a stalemate. the government in power won't go with Arias' 7 point peace plan and the ousted president continues to say he's coming back. We do have a curfew, 11PM to 4AM.
God bless you all! Gil.