After our Adventure in Mexico we went down south to Belize. In the hostel we found a transfer service that takes you to the border. We get transported to the border by a taxi and get dropped of. We went to the office to get our departure stamp for Mexico. For us it was no questions asked and we got the stamp immediately. We didn’t think much of it. Later we find out that many travelers had to pay an exit fee. This exit fee is 35$. However this is also already paid when you travel by plane as the airline charge you for that. So those unlucky people paid twice and you can bet the money just goes straight to the pocket of the person at the border. We had a nice officer though. We get the stamp and we wait. Since we didn’t get that much information we wait a long time at the border. At the border we meet Sibel, Oskar and Johan. No one knows what’s happening. Did we get scammed? The wait continues as we are unsure what to do.

I don’t know why, but Oskar and Johan always look like they touring as an alternative rock band. I bet you think the same. So after one and a half hours of waiting, the van finally arrives. It wasn’t a scam after all… Just a lack of information. We drive 20 minutes on the Belizean border and get the next stamp for Belize. Finally after the long formalities we get the stamp. This hustle makes me appreciate the European Union. Crossing without this kind bureaucracy is great. Afterwards we head to Belize City. We immediately notice how strange this country is. We know nothing about it. The national language is English. This is a nice surprise for me after spending so much time in a Spanish native country. The currency still has the queen Elizabeth on it’s notes but he accent is hard to understand though. Belize has a lot of Maya ruins as well. This shows how much influence the colonialization had on different countries. Here it is just the Brittish people that had more influence instead of the Spanish From Belize City we take a ferry to Caye Caulker. An island located in the Caribbean.

And the island, man it blew us away by its beauty! Just look at it. By the way, on the other side of this picture there was water too! We take a few days here to explore the island and the water around it. The island is just surrounded by mangroves and palms and a reef. However the island got separated in two after a hurricane in the 1960s. The spot is now known as the splid where people come and hang out. The people made the best of this spot.

With the increased demand for tourism a lot of resorts and hotels cut down the local mangroves for more ocean view. This is usually a bad idea as they act as a natural protection from erosion for the island. On the other hand it had a positive effect for the local people and their standard of living. They have to find a balance though that sustains their life in the 21st century. As you can see this island is merely above sea level.

The locals come together and barbecue at the split as well. They barbecue lobsters, chicken, fish and shrimp. There are a few people selling banana and coconut bread as well. The vibe is really nice as everyone is really open, friendly and smiling. The best part is the lobster is quite cheap and fresh from the ocean. Man what else do you need?

Another day we decide to go snorkeling and go off with a small boat. Sibel, which we met on the border is on board as well. We head off to a have a wild experience. First we head out to the reef. The captain is cranking down on the gas and I have to hold on to my cap and my glasses as i feel very excited. It is the first time for me to see coral live and in color. I just wonder how healthy they are… The fresh ocean breeze cools my body as the sun is still burning my body. After twenty minutes we arrive at the reef. It is time to grab the gearand jump into the water.

And just wow, this is just stunning. It is like a different world underwater. I feel very compelled and very happy at the moment. I can’t even describe it to you properly. Turns out the coral is quite healthy as well. Afterwards we head to shark bay. Here sharks and stingrays are supposed to be quite common. We head in with a little bit of fear but we are in luck and sharks and stingrays are there

What an experience. Swimming with these creatures. The mixture between fear and amazement on these predators is really interesting. For your information. It is more likely that you die from a cow than from a shark attack. Still through the media it is very scary seeing these animals up close. This is something I will definitely remember!

After these amazing days we head to Guatemala as Belize is too expensive to stay in..

Stay tuned for the story in Guatemala the land of trees and vulcanos.