Travel day today! Our time in Caye Caulker is up and we are off to a new country - Guatemala! Of the research I've done and the stories I've heard, it sounds wonderful and I am very excited!
We woke up early so we could go get breakfast on the island before our travels began... We settled at a spot called Paradise and had a delicious fresh breakfast with a view of the ocean. We also ordered sandwiches for lunch later (note how this learning curve is working!!)... Our first mode of transport was a boat from the island to Belize City- this took about 45 minutes or so... We took the 8:30 boat as we read that the 9:30 bus to Flores in Guatemala specifically waits for the arrival of this boat. Belize City is very third world and probably not somewhere I would ever visit for longer than the few minutes we had to wait to leave in our shuttle - most people seem to have the same opinion... So our journey to Flores was officially underway! This time we weren't on a comfortable air-conditioned bus but rather a small mini van shuttle so sleeping and getting comfortable was not easy... Nonetheless after 2,5 hours we arrived at the Belize-Guatemala border... As soon as we did, the vehicle was swarmed by Belizeans trying to sell us currency... We got through emigration ok and paid our exit tax of Belize $37,50 (annoying but apparently legit!) and then walked across the border for passport control in Guatemala! We had read that there was no entrance tax and they did try charge us but we had no cash on us and told them as much and they stamped our passports regardless and let us in... Helps to be well informed!! It was then another 1,5 hours to Flores which is an island in itself off Guatemala but connected by bridges. It's on a lake and is mostly known to be a pit stop for people to then go visit the famous Tikal ruins. Our friend Vicky had booked us the night before into the Los Amigos hostel - very popular and well-reviewed hostel! It's so cute (a bit of a mission to get to up steep cobble stoned streets but no problems if you're traveling as you should with a backpack haha)... We have a private room and bathroom and we are almost living in the trees! It's clean and comfortable and to be honest better than the hotel we stayed in on Caye Caulker! Poor Sarah is really suffering from the heat... Am a bit worried about her- she's lost all her energy and vibe and has been lying on the bed all day with the fan on her as she can't bare the thought of heading out in the sun... I hope she adjusts soon because its only going to get hotter and we have a long way to go! While she was resting, I took a walk along the cobbled streets of the town- it's very clear there is a strong Spanish influence here. The town reminds me very much of Europe with the streets and roads- the buildings are all colourful and it's very pretty! The lake is also beautiful...
There's not too much else to do here so I came back and had a nap. We've booked our ruins tour for 4:30am tomorrow morning and then our overnight bus for Lake Atitlan! Went for dinner at a cute restaurant on the lake... Really like the feel of this town!! Had a slight miscommunication with the waitress who instead of substituting my pasta side with veggies for my chicken dish, brought me pasta with veggies and no chicken! Haha... Was still yum and felt healthy anyways :) Sarah still not doing well so headed home soon... I got my bags ready for tomorrow so that all was sorted for my early morning rise!
Another incredible day on this journey...
Lesson of the day: Never try change a menu item when you don't speak the language!!
Moment of the day: Walking the streets of Flores taking in all the amazing experiences so far!