Get me out of here now!!!!!

driving through belize
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what a day and a half!

we set off for chetumal at the border at 6am, trying desperately hard to sleep on the 4 hour journey but failing, my stomach was churning so that it felt like there was a samba band down there! at the bus station in chetumal we went outside to find some food, i got about 4 steps far with my heavy bags and then collapsed on the floor and projectile vomited bright orange liquid everywhere for 10 minutes. nice! i felt vastly improved afterwards and we jumped on the bus, going through the immigration points (time to build up my passport stamps!) and then driving for 3 and a half hours on a very cramped, hot and bumpy bus to belize city. after taking a taxi into the centre i said goodbye to my two bus mates who were going off diving on caye caulker (jealous!!!), feeling very panicked i hobbled to the nearest guesthouse where i had to pay $15 for a triple room just so i could have somewhere to rest. mercifully, it had a fan! but the day had taken it's toll on me, feeling very sick, lonely and sorry for myself i burst into tears. it's quite a nerveracking experience being on your own in a strange place and not knowing how well you are going to be. i decided to hide in my room for the night and get some rest (after a tearful phone conversation with my mum).

near the guatemala border
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the next day was up bright and early and with an improved stomach, so i set off to find a cashpoint, internet cafe, food etc. belize city is very strange, i'd heard it wasn't a nice place but i didn't expect it to look like a city of tin shacks, with hot, narrow streets and plenty of people shouting at you ("hey white girl!!! come home and cook my dinner!"). i managed to find coffee and food (ie - bananas) helped by a local woman who i was told later was a crackhead. nice! by luck i found a place to book my bus ticket to flores and spent the last few hours in the guesthouse, turfed out of my room by 2 angry looking women (they didn't tell me what time checkout was!). was so happy to get out of there! after a lovely bus ride through jungles and villages the bus crossed the border to guatemala at night and i watched a huge lightning storm over the hills.

sights from the bus -

* "goat lover's street" in belize city

* huge roadside cemetary heading out of the city

* local kids going over river rapids in blow up rings

* numerous animals standing in the middle of the road, oblivious to oncoming traffic

arrived in flores at about 9pm and had to traipse around several hotels before i could get a (double) room. punished for being a solo traveller! i was asleep almost straight away, feeling much happier!