Flores, Guatemala
Today we left Belize City via public bus and it wasn’t like the express bus at home. We lined up behind a fence and when they said go, we worked in pairs. Steve loaded luggage in the back while I elbowed through the crowd to save us a seat. Apparently, the bus can’t leave the station with anyone standing and most of our group was still outside. We pulled out of the bus station and the rest of the group boarded from the street. Most didn’t have a seat for 20-30 minutes but eventually everyone settled in and we drove two hours with the windows down and reggae blaring. Oh, until we were stopped by the highway patrol. We think it was because we had people standing, but who knows. Along the way we passed what we think was the Tour de Belize, or something like that. We cheered them on just like the Tour de France. An unexpected surprise…why we love to travel. After a quick stop in Belmopan, the capitol of Belize, we continued onward toward the Guatemalan border…until the bus broke down.
Waiting for the new bus
Eventually we were rescued by another bus and made it to San Ignacio, Belize. Here we had lunch and then we took a van to the border crossing. To leave Belize, it’s $20 each, a two step process, another passport stamp and a short walk to the Guatemala check point. Another $2 and we were through. Another more comfortable bus was waiting to take us another 2 hours to the town of Flores, Guatemala. Flores is on an island in the middle of Lake Peten Itza. This small little town is a jumping off point for visits to Tikal. Once we were settled in to our air-conditioned room we set out for a walk and happy hour, followed by a group dinner. We leave for Tikal tomorrow at 5:00 am.
Marnie and Steve Travel 