Blogs from Orange Walk, Orange Walk District, Belize, Central America Caribbean - page 2

We left Mexico on Saturday morning and crossed the border by bus to Belize. Border crossing was a painless experience and after a very slow journey on the Belizean side (the bus likes to stop randomly about every 50m or whenever someone feels like getting on or off) we arrived in Orange Walk about 6pm. Orange Walk is a tiny little town that feels a bit like you are in some american western movie...with ramshackle old houses with return verandas and Ma and Pa sitting outside on their chairs. The streets have the funniest names like Flambouyant street, Lovers Lane and the next town along is called Crooked Tree.. The only difference is the people. They seem to be a confusing mix of super friendly Jamican/Carribean/Mexican/Mayan and Asian. The only restaurants in the town are Chinese ... read more

It is hot in this country! Good thing we expected that, so its not a huge shock. Lets see, quick summary. We got into Belize city early afternoon yesterday and took a $25 (non-negotiable, it says so right on the official sign) ride into town to the bus station. There is no ticket counter because you pay the driver right on the bus. No ticket counter means no one to ask questions. Good thing the schedule is posted right on the wall. After figuring out that the bus standing with the designation "Chetumal" would pass through where we wanted to go, we got on. The guidebooks did not lie, the buses are old American school buses, although they are a bit spruced up with tinted film on the windows. The bus ride was uneventful. Loud rap ... read more

After San Ignacio we went to Orange walk in the north of Belize. This was recommended as a great adventure. It wasn’t! Another boat journey through lots of mangroves and small estuary’s but this time on a speed boat, fairly exciting and then we pulled up outside more Mayan ruins Lamanai. The main difference with these is that they are the oldest ruins in the Mayan empire and they also outlasted every other settlement, they were continuously populated for nearly 3000 years! Interesting site as it was literally in the middle of nowhere and the civalisation would have been very secluded. The things that spoilt it was that same day a cruise ship pulled into Belize and there must have been about 2 hundred tourists walking around the site with us which made it not very ... read more