Yesterday morning, I informed my current Hosts and friends that I’ve decided to leave on Friday the 19th June thus I started looking for Couchsurfing Hosts in Belize in order to tentatively cross the border today.
The idea is travel by bus from Playa del Carmen (204 Pesos with ADO) to Chetumal, then to Belize. I didn’t know how but I knew that something would come up eventually.
Checked the Bus schedule and found out that a bus leaves at 6:00 am arriving in Chetumal by 10:00 am. As I like to arrive in a new place as early as possible this sounds like a good option.
Then I went to Tabbule, my favorite Shisha place in Playa to relax, smoke shisha and surf the net. As it turns out, the Belizean CouchSurfing community is not big at all but luckily, I had a few affirmative replies.
One of them was Robert, 31 years old dude from Calcutta, who offered to pick me up from Chetumal on his car. I did say that something would come up didn’t I? I told him that I could get in a bus from the border into his village, because I don’t like and never take advantage of my hosts, but Robert insisted that it would suit him.
The only caveat, if we can call it that, is that I would have to arrive at Chetumal by 4pm not 10am. Thanking him, I agreed to his kind offer.
When I informed Charlie, Tabbule’s owner about my traveling plans, he told me that he lived in Belize for 10 years so he knows the place pretty well. Charlie gave me from great tips on places to visit, and then I asked him if he knew where I could get a deal on a camera.
His eyes lit up and he told me that his friend had a pawn shop called “El Rey” at the top of Juarez Avenue, and proceeded to call him on his mobile phone. Charlie passed me the phone and I spoke with Bassel, the owner of El Rey pawn shop. Bassel told me that he had several cameras and I should stop by to have a look.
As I have to be in Chetumal by 4pm, I have plenty of time to wake up in the morning, go to “El Rey” then catch the bus. As the clocked neared 9pm I returned to the house and there was a couchsurfing couple from Monterrey. Spoke with them for a while, and educated them on Portugal’s location then went to sleep.
Today Friday 19th June, I woke up at 7:30am, pack up my stuff, said good bye to Conny, then went to the pawn shop with Jaime. Following a quick stop at Ivonne’s house to say good bye, we arrived at “El Rey”. Charlie was at the place already and he officially introduced me to Bassel, the owner.
Showed me several cameras and I picked the shock & waterproof Olympus. Bassel gave me the “friends & family discount”, hugged Charlie good bye, and then quickly back to the house to pick up my bag followed by a short walk to the ADO bus station on 20th Avenue with 12th Street.
Didn’t get to say good bye to Martin Chino as he was not in the house when I returned. Chino, thanks for everything and I shall see you soon!
My bus leaves the station in 30 minutes so I’m just quickly typing these words and the last few events.
Thanks Playa del Carmen for such a warm welcome.
Thanks Ariadne, Conny, Jaime, Martin, Lalo, Laura, Claudio & Mariana, Paula, Flavio & Pelon, Ivonne, Maria Jose, Lizete, Jonathan, Bruno, and all the others that I can’t recall right now. Lots of love and light!
Ciao 4 now
~ Paulo ~
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