Enter Belize, Leave Belize, Enter Guatemala

November 16 and 17, 2008
Northern Hwy Belize, one of 3 main hwys.

Bruce posting:
The one thing that strikes you upon crossing the border from Chetumal to Belize is the lack of urgency in the people...more like apathy or maybe depression. They don’t seem to be very industrious or happy like the Mexicans. Also the Belizean border is very disorganized and filthy. We didn’t feel very welcomed by the immigration lady who checked us in. We could tell she was suspicious of us, which is laughable since we look like two of the most harmless travelers you would ever meet. In fact she only cleared us for a week stay even though 30 days is the norm. Well our intent was to go from eastern Mexico to Guatemala and through Belize was the closest route so we gladly were on our way.

The border crossing from Mexico to Belize was made much easier by following the advice from our friends at Bumfuzzle.com. They list exactly the steps needed to get across the border. The one thing we ran into that they didn’t is that when we left the immigration parking lot some government employee (well we think it was a government employee) tried to charge us a parking fee. He said we had been there over 30 minutes, which we hadn’t. Pat and I disputed his claim and left. Afterwards we both felt terrible and hope we didn’t get him in trouble, it appears as an obvious scam whether supported by the government or not is unknown.

Once again the internet stories will put a scare into you about driving in foreign countries but the roads in Belize were very nice and in less than 4 hours we were in San Ignacio on the western border with Guatemala. We purposely avoided Belize City. I had been through there back in the ‘80s and had seen enough to last a lifetime. They recently had massive floods here and signs of it were everywhere. One person told us that the low bridge in town had been under 40’ of water as the river rose and stated he was trapped in town with his RV and couldn’t get out.

Let me briefly explain why I’m lucky to be here and how I suddenly remembered the show Hee Haw. I went to check out a camping spot at this farm near the river while Pat waited in the van. I had been gone quite a while so I thought I’d take a short cut through the orange grove back to the van. I step out from behind this orange tree to be confronted by this huge mule. I must have scared him because he farted then started lunging for me with these huge buck teeth…I think it was the mule that farted. Lucky for me he was strongly tethered to an orange tree because he would have caught up with me in about 15 feet. I’m surprised the tether held because he was going nuts. Well anyway if you remember the opening to HeeHaw, and who doesn’t, it had this dumb looking cartoon mule with huge teeth saying “Hee haw” and that is the first thing I thought of as my life was near an end.
The culprit mule tide up safely under a palapa the next day.

It was a pleasure camping in the Inglewood Camping Ground just west of San Ignacio. Greg, the owner, was very cordial. He told us that he used to be very busy until September 11th, but since his business has really fallen off. In fact we were his only campers other than the stranded Rv’er, Hugh, from California. We also found out that the "Fuzzles" had stayed there also.

We’d read about excellent hiking and ruins in the adjacent jungle but unfortunately the roads to get there are very rough or it’s recommended you take a tour from one of the tour operators. We attempted to get to Rio Frio but after 8 miles of rough gravel in and 15 more to go we decided to turn around, have some breakfast, and then head over to Guatemala.
Two girls driving cattle down dirt road on way to Rio Frio.

Border crossings are always a challenge and again the Bums made it easy for us. The only monkey wrench in the whole crossing was Oscar, the copier storeowner, was off doing who knows what so we couldn’t have copies made. The entire customs process wheels ground to a screeching halt because of Oscar. Luckily the car import officer just stepped inside his office and made the necessary copies.
The Guatemalan border from West Belize.

They also charged us $150 quetzals for the toll road (7.5 quetzals=$1 USD). The toll lady was convinced we were this huge RV or bus. She kept tearing off receipts from her book, handing them to me and all the time gibbering in some extinct Mayan dialect why she was bending me over. We argued with her until there was a line of cars behind us that went back across the river bridge all the way to the Belizean border….honking. And a toll for what? The next 15 miles was a totally rough, dusty and gravel road and then when we hit pavement I was wishing to be back on the gravel. Mostly the road was straight but never the less Pat got seasick from me dodging all the potholes. We noticed that even the topes had potholes. I was loving those overpriced Canadian tires we had bought earlier in the trip.

Did I say above that the Belizean border was filthy? Well the Guat border made Belize look like Boca Raton. Sadly, what a miserable place. The people don’t look much better off than the mongrel dogs who roamed the dusty streets. I expected to see a gunfight in main dirt street before we thankfully and literally left the border in our dust. I shouldn’t be so harsh but why would a government present their borders to visitors in this way. It makes no sense. A bucket of paint and an efficiency expert with a quarter of a brain would do wonders for these borders.

Sorry for the rants and raves but patience has never been my strong suite.

Eventually the road improved and we made our way to Tikal ruins to camp for the night.

Tulum, Quintana Roo

November 14, 2008

Driving in the Yucatan is like driving on the Ronald Reagan Turnpike through Florida. Bruce and I couldn’t believe how wide open the road was from Merida to Valladolid; a crossroad city in the Yucatan. We appreciated the lack of speed bumps, the ease of passing without danger and the smooth road. We stopped in Valladolid for lunch and to check out a cenote (water-filled sink holes). This was a happening town with the centro streets under serious construction. The Zaci Cenote is a natural site worth a peek. The water is so blue and deep and home to the “rare” eyeless black lub fish.


Our maps show the road to Tulum from Valladolid to be a dirt road, however it’s completely paved with some major broadening road work. Other than a couple of hundred small to medium-sized potholes we made it to our destination of Tulum in no time. Our reconnaissance of the town was quick so we had time to check out the beach front hotels. Turning right on the main road from Tulum all along the beach there is one hotel after another; from moderate to small luxurious hotels. It seems the tourist business is picking up as the hotels we checked on were full. We even asked to sleep in the parking lot of one hotel and were refused. We’re glad to see tourism in full swing but sad we have lost our bargaining powers. We were told camping is prohibited so back in town we found a very nice hotel (Hotel Rosa) off a side street for $400 pesos…..all the amenities we needed, plus an auto lavado (car wash) across the street. Bruce loves the Mexican car washes, they spend an hour hand washing and waxing the van.

Typical Mexican dinner....delicious!

Puerto Progreso, Yucatan

November 13, 2008


Photo right: A common imagine throughout Mexico.

This is a coastal city put on the map by a number of Canadian and US snowbirds. The town sits on the north side of the Yucatan, 30 minutes from Merida, facing the Gulf of Mexico. We arrive mid day and thought the town was deserted. There were a few restaurants along the beach road and the usual local vendors. We drove behind the main beachfront road to explore a bit more. We were surprised by all the homes either for sale or rent, one after another. Some appeared to have been vacant for years. We checked out a few hotels that seemed to be in some form of deterioration and settled at the best place in town. Hotel Yakunah was a bed and breakfast paradise! A slight splurge for us but worth every penny. It’s an elegant home that is remodeled to perfection in every detail. Swimming pool, dining area outside under the palapa, great continental breakfast, a piano, good wireless connection, air conditioned and the bonus TV w/cable.


The town is like most coastal towns; in a constant battle with the wind and salt water air that seems to accelerate deterioration at a rapid pace. The beach was nice and the malecon is decent. We hear the Canadians love this place which is good for them as there seems to be an abundance of beach front property for sale.

Campeche, Campeche and The Insect Parade

November 12, 2008

We read from a Canadian writer that the city of Campeche was like “San Miguel de Allende meets the Gulf coast”. Well…not exactly. Definitely a lovely well preserved colonial city with all the modern conveniences of Walmart, Office Depot, Sam’s Club, Burger King….etc. The old city is surrounded by a stone wall/fort preserved for more than 400 years…..this was to protect the city from assaults by pirates. The Spaniards lived in the walled city while the natives of the land lived on the outside.

The historical centro is typical for the colonial period and there is a beautifully maintained long malecon along the waters' edge. Outside the walls it appears the first world is moving in with its non-patronized chain stores…..yes, there is available parking up close at Walmart and no lines! On the south side of the walled city is a normal Mexican town we’ve come to know and love. We had delicious chicken tacos at Sam Bigotes for the same price of a small Burger King burger (5USDs). Yep, even imported junk food is expensive. Hotels in the centro were full (a first for us) so we found a nice cozy room on the Mexican side of town. Boondocking was an option but it was so hot.
At dusk we visited the 3-room city museum housed in one of the bastions and read briefly of pirates and guns and viewed the nicely displayed items from the time of Spanish rule. The highlight of our visit was an insect parade. We happened upon these large plastic mache insects 13 to 18 feet tall crawling through town. They had moving limbs that mimicked animation manned by men and women on bicycles and other leveraged moving parts. Loud heavy-metal music played as the ancillary staff lit smoker-candles and carried road flares. Everyone watched, cheered and followed the insects around the zocolo. Truly the coolest parade we’ve ever seen.






















Photo below: Bruce happily finds an uncrowded Walmart, but they only have 1 of 5 items on his list.

Palenque Mayan Ruins, Chiapas Mexico

November 11, 2008

The ruins of Palenque sit at the edge of a dense jungle made into a national park. The grounds occupying the temples and ruins is large and impressive. There were more ruins in the jungle that we did not visit as they appeared to be closed off to the self-guided tourist. Palenque has hundreds of visitors, unlike our visit to Tonina which had ~20 visitors. We spent an hour and a half walking around, reading the plaques that explained the obvious, i.e., this temple is built of stone and the walls were plastered with stucco and to the west is another building. Some plaques did state what certain areas were used for. Photo left: Twenty-first century ruler of Palenque.

For us, the jungle that surrounded the ruins was intriguing. We saw a variety of birds, many butterflies, and the day before at one of the resort hotels we saw monkeys. We'd love to do a hike in the jungle but I"m not sure we'd find our way out.









Photo right: Ballcourt of Palenque.

The ruins are definitely worth a visit but be wary of higher prices from vendors and the potential for deception. Our visit was tempered by an encounter with a Mexican guide who misquoted what he would charge to take us on a tour. We agreed to a tour when he said “75”, then just before we started I verified the price and he said 350 pesos per person….he meant closer to 75 USDs! We kindly said no and took our self-guided tour. There were more tour guides who approached us with a lesser fee of 100 pesos….the price kept going down closer to the entrance.

This photo reminded us of the famous Chilkoot Pass photo during the Klondike Gold Rush.

We may look like dummies but being our sixth week in Mexico we have a general instinct to know when we may be getting charged too much.....Bruce has already been hit by the gringo factor a few times. For the most part, everyone is on the up and up.

Bruce was glad to leave the ruins and town of Palenque and head toward Campeche, Campeche. I had read a blurb about a town called Champoton (42 miles south of Campeche) which looked interesting and perfect timing for a stop. Unfortunately, it wasn’t as interesting as the guide book said. We did find a nice hotel, grabbed a bite to eat and off to bed. There is nothing to keep us here another day. This is a fishing community and similar to Homer, Alaska in that the fish is abundant and the most expensive thing on the menu. I ordered chicken.



Coastal town of Champoton, Campeche.

Agua Azul, near Palenque, Chiapas Mexico

November 10, 2008

Our agenda today is to visit the cascades of Agua Azul; turquoise blue water flowing over the calcium-deposited ledges. This has a big tourist draw and well worth the visit. The water was cold but didn’t keep the Europeans out as they take full advantage of any water dipping opportunity. Too cold for us though.

Since we lollygagged at the falls we decided we needed another day to see the ruins of Palenque and spent the late afternoon searching for another hotel. We found several reasonably priced luxurious resort hotels but opted for the same DT hotel as it was late in the day and we would not be able to enjoy the resort amenities. These resort hotels are very reasonable 50-100USDs, ecological in design (in the jungle), luxurious and amenities galore. Our DT hotel was 20USDs and had everything we needed.

San Cristobal-Tonina-Palenque, Chiapas Mexican Hwy 199

November 9, 2008

The week in San Cristobal was superb but it was time to continue on with our journey. Since leaving we have talked about returning when the evening temperatures warm up. The town has so much to offer: entertainment, authentic native wares, a large zocolo, brightness of the young people, and great food. San Cristobal has to be one of the best hidden gems we've come across.

So, on to Tonina on the way to Palenque. These Mayan ruins are 8 kms and 30 minutes off the main road. Tonina is a large complex with several old temples and buildings. This was the society that brought down Palenque (the beginning of the end) in 730AD however Tonina resisted collapse and the last dynasty held on until around 909AD. Since then it was inhabited intermittently and tombs were reused.

For me the ball court is of interest as it seems most ruins have them. The field for this is narrow, has a stone disc placed in the center, and 45 degree angled walls on the two lengthwise sides to bank the ball back in to court. The balls are made of rubber discovered over 3500 years ago! Morning Glory flowers were used to prevent stickiness and the balls reportedly had incredible bounce. I don't know how the game was played but unfortunately, losing wasn't much fun as some players were decapitated. (Sorry, no photo.)




While there a group of youngsters were re-enacting a traditional ceremony.

The distance from San Cristobal to Palenque was 130 miles north along a very winding road starting at 7000+ft elevation dropping to below 500 ft. We found a hotel in downtown Palenque, found a good restaurant and headed for bed. This town looks more like the US-Mexican border towns, much different than the interior colonial cities.