The Road to Placentia

This post is a little out of order, but thought it was worth documenting the trip from Ambergris Caye to Placentia. I woke up on Friday 16th Nov and still didn't have a clue where I was going,  just knew that the direction was south, and that I had to be in Punta Gorda for the drum circle on Garifuna day on the 19 th! As the hotel was right at the end of the dock for the water taxi, it was easy to get packed and over there in the fifteen minutes before the ferry left. The boat holds about thirty people, and was full by the time we stopped in Caye Caulker on the way. It was a mixture of young and old, Belizians, expats and travellers ( I no longer consider myself a tourist, but a traveller). The trip was $12 US and arrived in Belize City in about an hour. The sea on the way was the bright turquoise that charms all who see it.

Belize City is a fairly unappealing one, at least from my perspective. Never a doubt that it was a throughway only. Because it is low season, the express buses to Placentia are not yet running and the regular bus takes about 7 hours for a place that is about sixty miles as the crow flies. Wasn't looking forward to that. By chance, there was a young couple from California going to Hopkins, and a taxi driver agreed to drop us all off for $50 a head. Jumped at that. After a quick stop for cheezes and beer at the gas station, off we went.

The highlight of the trip is the section down the Hummingbird Highway. Lined with palm trees, bannana plantations, orange groves and mahogany farms. The road kill are howler monkeys instead of skunks and raccoons. Our cabbie was a Garifuna who suggested the best celebrations would be in Danagria, about half way between Hopkins, where we dropped the California couple, and Placentia where I was headed. 

As we headed into Placentia, I noticed the large amount of improvements in the area from when Matu Lou and I were here two years ago. The road has been paved, many more condos developed, and the introduction of 26 speed bumps on the 16 km section of road leading into town, And these are the mother of all speed bumps, and the number and size make our car hating Toronto City Council look like pokers. The road in also crosses the end of the runway for the loal airport, with the cars required to  give right of way to the planes taking off. 

Lots of hotel choices, but ended up going to the same place we stayed at two years ago, One World, which is a six unit motel, basic but immaculate, and has all the comforts including cable TV, kitchenette, hammock, laundry facilities, fridge, umbrella, etc. a steal of a deal at $49.