Belize: San Ignacio to Orange Walk

Allgemein
A reminder before we leave San Ignacio of our uplifting experience with the Mennonites; this couple were from another
community than the one we spent time with and were randomly walking by at the Bus Stop.
Setting off once again and being wished a safe journey from the manager of the hostel we had stayed at for 5 nights – a record for us on this trip.
They try very hard to encourage people to use the rubbish bins, however, sometimes it is not
Olivia is putting a braver face on our latest predicament than David. The larger bus we had been assured would take us with the bikes stored in the hold has not arrived and will not be coming today. Another smaller bus came in its place and the Conductor refused to take the bikes.
We are discussing with a taxi driver the best way to load the bikes and secure them to both prevent damage to the bikes, our main concern, and damage to his roof, his main concern. We are embarking on a 120 mile trip (180 kilometres) on a less than reliable road – a reason for choosing the bus initially than riding our bicycles.
Others offer their advice…….
…………..eventually David and the driver are left to resolve things the way they want them done.
Finally we’re off and retracing our tyre marks on the road back to Belmopan and on to Orange Walk.
The stretch of road we had been warned about lived up to its description so we were pleased with our decision not to ride it, especially when we had several heavy downpours of rain during the 3.5 hour journey.
As we approached Orange Walk (also known as Sugar City) we saw many lorries carrying sugar cane to be processed at nearby factories. When it was dark you could still notice the sweet smell of sugar in the air although it wasn’t possible to see the plantations we were passing.
Another hostel welcomes us and again we are on the first floor, however, there is space for the bikes in the room. Belize does not seem to embrace the roadhouse approach to accommodation where you can roll in and roll out, often staying on the ground floor.
We assess this country as being the most expensive third world country we have visited between us; huge amounts are being received through tourism and in this town, sugar, however, it does not seem to be invested in either roads or public transport.

One thing we do have here is a good internet connection so it is the ideal opportunity to catch up with the blog whilst receiving help from the owner’s dog.

A local school with an uncovered basketball court and play area.
Belize is 80% Christian and we see these religious messages and quotations regularly.
The owner of this Burger Hut claims to have the smallest burger hut in the country whilst selling the largest burger.
We chose a double decker each and were pleased with both the quality and the quantity. Belize is expensive compared to Mexico and roughly you pay approximately 2 – 3 times more for a third to half the quantity. We were often hungry here, but not tonight, and 2 meals a day had to be supplemented with snacks and/or a third meal.
This is the Godzilla Burger – 12.5 pounds of beef – and sufficient to serve 16 normal size burgers. He was an engineer until he was 40 years old and decided he wanted to work for himself and, 14 years later, he seems very content.
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