Today is mostly a travel day. It's
Sunday and I'm not sure about the bus service in Belize
and don't want to chance not making it to Orange
Walk. Sleep in and catch the 7:00 ferry to Playa Del Carmen. The bus south to Chetumal doesn't leave tell 9:15
so I explore Playa Del Carmen for an hour and a half. Very modern city, very tourist oriented with lots of
McDonald's restaurants and expensive hotels. Had a wonderful fresh squeezed orange juice, the first of many.
Transferring buses in Chetumal
is not overly hard. Locating the one ticket agent that can sell tickets on the Belize bus line was the tricky part.
The Belize bus had a border specialist who told us what to expect at the border. The crossing was no problem. It is
nice to be speeking English again, the language of Belize. They didn't announce we had arrived in Orange Walk
when we arrived around 4:00. Fortunately I asked what city it was because otherwise, I would have ended up in
Belize City. Somehow I expected a town of 20,000 to look larger than the city in the photo on the right.The guidebook map allowed me to locate Jungle River Tours, the company that would be taking me to Lamanai the next day. I told the woman in the office I had been communicating with Antonio via email. She called him and he insisted on coming down and driving me to the Lamanai Inn, introducing me to Raeul, the Owner.
$20.00 US for a wonderful room (in the long building to the right of the restaurant and bar in the photo on the
right), abet no screens over the windows and no hot water, but air conditioning. And overlooking the New River!
And there where no bugs.After walking around Orange Walk for an hour, returned to the Inn for Dinner. The most wonderful rice and beans and fantastic fried chicken. And lots of Belikin stout, a FANTASTIC dark beer. The beer and Marie Sharps Habanaro Pepper sauce. MMM GOOD!
After about the fifth beer, started talking to the owner’s son Rauel Jr. Wonderful family with many, many interesting stories. Then the Dad comes out. Talks about owning the Belize soccer team and what a wonderful experience that was. Wonderful appetizers. Then talks about the crocodile across the river and how it took a big chunk out of his boat. Has the boat in the back yard to prove it. An absolutely wonderful time!!!