Done with Belize

Here I am in Punta Gorda. Much has happened and I have little time to update before I need to go to customs, get stamped, pay my exit fee and get on a boat to Guatemala. I feel some haggling will be in order for my ferry trip, so I want to allow for plenty of time for that. The internet says $50 Belize for the trip ($25 US), but I'm hoping there will be some competing ferries down there...

After I left Tulum I took a bus to Chetumal, Quintana Roo, Mexico, the border town for Belize and Mexico. At first I was really bummed I stayed, I seemed to be in an awful part of town, I forgot to get cash at the bus stop so I had to pay a taxi to take me to a bank and back so I could have cash for my hotel because I couldn't find it on my own and felt silly walking around in my pack. And the cabbie was a jerk. But then I got settled, showered (oh showers), wandered some, found internet and whre I was (thank you google maps and my limited spanish) and found out if I had only exited right rather than left from my hotel, I would've found everything in Chetumal one woudl probably see if only staying for a day.

So after being really down on myself for over an hour for not just continuing to Belize (where at least English is spoken) I ended up being really happy with where I was because it pushed me to use Spanish (and discover with some forethought I could be intelligible). This began a theme for me I'll discuss later...


The main attraction seemed to be the Maya center. since it was air conditioned and all I knew to do I went with the intention to stay as long as possible and read *everything*. There were a lot of rad artifacts, and lots of information.




check out the phalic symbol.. wowza they liked the man parts in this one


and they had this rad mayan calculator. everything went up in multiples of 20. like a ladder, they said. So I spent forever calculating a huge number before I realized there was an electronic one next to me that would calculate it for me. Oh well, I had more fun this way.



Outside the Center..



Then I walked down this main street until I reached the water. I had tried to walk west earlier (during the discouraging moments before google maps) and it seemed very far. I didn't even think about that Chetumal is the tip of the Yucatan, so many directions reach ocean!


This looked very out of use, but man I bet it was fun at one time...



Then more enchiladas (I'm not feeling very adventurous in the food zone yet), some attempted phone calls and I was asleep reading before 9. The heat has really made me even more of a sleeper than I already am.



Spent all day on a bus, mostly staring out the window amazed at the scenery or thinking of how terrified Ben would have been in this bus. The bus from Chetumal to Belize City was a normal Greyhound type bus, but then I switched to the mor ecommon old school bus and this driver was flying. We rocked out half way to afro beat/carribean type music and half to sweet 90's pop hits, mostly courtesty of Miss Celine Dion. I found this is pretty common. Narrow, winding, sometimes hilly roads and this driver passed *everyone* Even I was nervous for some of it.



I met a rasta looking man named Regal who guessed I ws going to Hopkins and suggested Lebaha, where I was planning to stay anyway. I'm short on time, but everything was very nice, well, after the first night.

I got there and it was my birthday. I was alone, that's ok. I was excited, sometimes that's not ok. So I visited with one of the owners, Dorothy (a lady from Vancouver, BC), for a bit then went to check otu the beach, since there weren't any other guests and the mosquitos were supposed to be nonexistent by the water.

I got to the water, it was getting dark. She said something about cabanas and benches, but allI saw was a trashy coast and some run down boat. Huh. So I went to the right a bit, found a bench, but soon after some dogs came and barked til I left. double huh. There was another house to the left, so I didn't dare go for fear of more dogs. So I paced this dirty piece of coast, about 5 feet wide and felt really let down.

Hence the theme Imentioned earlier.

So I started to really criticize myself. Well I was alone and that's what I wanted, right? I started to think maybe this was all a mistake and why should I have left when I have such a wonderful, loving family at home? The week before I left, with one exception, I had the most amazing time with friends and family and have never been happier or felt more loved. With Scott, Jess and Jack in town adn then Liz's birthday party and Keri and Sean's and my potluck and lots of little individual meetings with great friends.. even Dave and Leisa's up until I ruined it. Especially Dave and Leisa's up until I ruined it.. Nothing but love. And now I was on some dirty beach with no one. Fro my birthday. How dumb was I?

So I let myself cry a little and think about how much I especially missed Ben, my "home" as the Edward Sharp song would put it. Then I resolved to make th emost of everything. I gave myself a talkign to about appreciating what I had, and then went back to write about it and read mor eof the Rigoberta Menchu book Katie had lent me.

And what did I get? Well, much like my experience in Chetumal, after being extremely disappointed, I found where I was looking for the next day (the cabanas (with wifi!) and the beach) adn it was awesome. I also took a bike ride to nearby Sittee River, and while I spent too much time biking to see the wildlife, I had a blast. Swam in the ocean, had a drum lesson, even went to a local wake the other owner, Jabbar, invited myself and my neighbors, Julian and Laura from France, to. Felt a little otu of place, but it was fun getting to know them better.

I'm horribly out of time, but the lesson was to not expect so much and just appreciate what I have. Then suddenly paradise appears. Weird how it works.

My room



The cabana that was empty, so I got to use it. screened patio, hammock and wifi!


View from the Cabana




Me and my hammock


Where I swam (away form the village, near the resorts. I felt less like a freak in my swim suit)



Sittee River



Dog with Chili ears!! (and there were tame dogs I can play with! mor epictures later..)