Tulum and Orange Walk
Trip Start
Jul 16, 2007
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37
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Trip End
Jul 15, 2008
Orange Walk, Belize
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Quick dip in the sea, just because we can! And then we hit the shopping parade. So much to buy, at inflated prices for all the many tourists. However i do decide to upgrade my flip-flops before the big dent in the heal turns into a hole! Time for a few drinks with the others at the hostel before going to watch the fretwork display in the central plaza. The square is buzzing with stalls auctioning tat and 100s of people watching dancing, including a bizarre maypole style dance. After the impressive display of fireworks a band started and then we hit the bars and a rather elite and extortionately expensive club! (Not really in English terms!). The party finished at around 7am on independence day (16th) which was also our 2 month anniversary in Mexico, good way to celebrate.
I think we spent most of Sunday asleep, although we manged to have breakfast, check out and sleep walk onto a bus to tulum before a further afternoon siesta! There was no seeing Tulumīs runs then as it was dark when we woke up.
Monday we managed to step out our door into the ruins before the crowds, and pretty much headed straight into the sea. The setting of the ruins overlooking the Caribbean sea it what makes them so remarkable. The ruins themselves are far plainer than some of the others, and more functional As well as more damaged due to the hurricanes. The sea however was perfectly still, turquoise and enticing. On the way out there were men swinging upside down from a high pole, i believe it is traditional Mayan?
At 1.30pm we get the bus to Chetumal, the border town with Belize, arriving at 5.35 we head straight in to look for onward buses to Orange Walk in Belize and find there is one leaving at 5.45, Quick turn around we empty out all our pesos and have 95. It is 100 for us both to get the bus. We eventually get to about 98 and he excepts it! I think he just wants the bus to depart on time, but we persuade him to let us have a quick loo stop before we go, thank goodness they were free here not the usual 3 pesos!
About 10mins later we are at the border, Mexico stamp us out, a bit further we carry all our things through immigration, get stamped in, back on the bus and on our way to Orange walk. We arrive in the dark and with no map of the quiet town are a little lost. First hotel we see is a bit pricey, however we happen to walk past a van with the hostel name we are looking for! So they drive us to their hostel just down the road, much cheaper, however there is a reason. The room is certainly basic, and then Kathryn notices that there is a huge hole in the wall to the corridor, which looks like someone has been thrown against it in a fight. She even put her hand through to demonstrate! Several cockroaches are lurking as well!
Tuesday we eventually get up, wondering why its not light, and then realise we havenīt got an external window. Realising we are too late for the Lamanai tour (water tour of ruins) for that day we head off to explore, in need of money. We manage to completely circle the banks without finding them, before eventually getting directions. Finding breakfast was another challenge, obviously not as big on it as in Mexico. Eventually we find somewhere and i see the time is one hour behind my watch. Then walking past the town hall the time is 2 hours behind. Completely confused we walk past ījungle toursīto book on a tour for the morning, ask the time, and Belize is an hour behind Mexico, we could have made the tour that day!
We relax by the river for a bit, and K thinks she sees a croc, i stay back from the edge, but a local is sitting with his legs in, very brave! We then relax by the hostel swimming pools for the afternoon, a bit green so we didnīt take a dip! At which point īPeter from Englandīas the tour man called him appeared, so the guides decide they will do the tour for 3 although usually 4. Back to the chines for dinner (all restaurants appear to be chinese here!).
