Prince Charles Perez

Sunrise on the border between Mexico and Belize
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We got up at the crack of dawn in Chetumal and headed in torrential rain to the bus station. We had a hectic 15 mins withdrawing cash for the bus ticket to Flores in Guatemala and withdrawing further mexican cash for a supposed exit tax. Which turned out to be a fabrication by the bus driver who probably would have pocketed it. Luckily we didn't give him a penny.

Then we got onto the supposed first class luxury air con bus that was going to be our home for the next ten hours, only to find the only air con was opening the windows wide even in the rain!

the boy we now know as "Cage Boy"

Belize from the bus, spot the strange figures on the balcony!
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Within the first hour we had already reached the border with Belize and we got chance to stretch our legs and watch the sun rise, oh while getting eaten by huge mosquitos.

Our next stop was Belize city, we were only ther for half an hour and we had hardly stepped off the bus before accosted by Prince Charles Perez! He was a creole Belizian amateur historian with the gift of the gab and some very tall stories! This is where we got to know Seth and Hectar our travelling companions. Hectar soon became bored with what Prince Charles had to say, so wandered off in search of a bathroom. We stuck it out and paid a dollar for the priveledge, though he thought he had earnt more. Seth then made the mistake of asking for a nearby bathroom and PCP said he knew just the place so took Seth off. Next thing we know is Seth running back to the bus just before the bus left. It turns out that the bathroom was, for a strange reason behind a locked door and inside that a cage. Everytime he turned to go to the toilet a huge black guy tried to lock him in! He eventually decided to ask where the bar was so he could get a beer, rather more run out of the bar............. a lucky escape for the boy we now know as "Cage Boy".

cool sign
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The next part of the journey we made a few more friends who got on in Belize, Thursten and Etienne.

After a total of ten and a half hours and another hectic border crossing we arrived in Flores, Guatemala................