We left Mexico via an o/n bus trip from Palenque to Chetamul including a stop by the well-armed Mexican army (which is better than 2 angry Chinese guys with swords and daggers) who got us all off the bus and searched our gear (but not Mary's who claimes she looks too respectable ... and she does) at about 1.00 in the morning. One on the lads on the bus suggested they were looking for contraband and (without any hint of humour) fruit.
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We arrived in Chetamul very early, dodged the usual shonky taxi men and got a local bus to the Mexican side of the border. Did all the stamping and paying and then back on the bus through no man's land to the Belize side. By the time we exchanged niceties with the Belize people (who speak English and share our queen.... all very comforting) and got the welcome nod, our bus had gone. Although we were pretty tired and a soomewhat marooned, we felt a little fortunate that the bus hadn't charged us for the trip yet. >
We spent the day in Corozal (my god it's hot and humid) waiting for a boat (if there were enough people for it to run) to drop us off on it's way to San Pedro (of Madonna's "I fell in love with ....."). We were headed for "Backpacker's Paradise" (turned out to be a misnomer). The place got a rave review in Lonely Planet but, based on the evidence we think that must have been a self-asssessment. Nothing much was as it claimed, and in a Miss Marple-like moment, Mary spotted the owner's maiden name (observed on her tourist licence) as an contributor listed in the back of the book. We're losing faith in Lonely Planet.
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Although the place was disappointing, we got to visit an orphan baby manatee ...... a face only a mother could love but cute anyway.
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The rest of our time was spent swatting unprecedented numbers of mozzies and cycling back and forth to town and the "nearby" (Lonely Planet!) beach for cool-downs before we could get the boat to call in and take us across to the Belize Caye's.
