June 22, 2007

There are several reports on the US Embassy in Guatemala’s website about tourists being targeted on the lonely stretch of highway from the Belize/Guatemala border to Tikal, in the remote northeast corner of Guatemala.

This made us even more receptive to giving a ride to Chad, a 30-something accountant from Coeur de Laine Idaho, who we had struck up a conversation with at the Trek Shop in San Jose Succotz the day before.

He was in Belize on a fly-fishing vacation, but was looking to spend a day at the Tikal ruins.

Given Chad's profession, we felt the likelihood of him using us as drug trafficking "mules" was pretty low.

But borders make us edgy at the best of time and so we dropped him off a few hundred metres before the Belize side of the border and then picked him again only after he had been cleared into Guatemala.

We weren’t keen to have what is already a stressful process further complicated by a third person, who was basically a stranger to us.

Not surprisingly given its English roots, and in line with what we had seen during our travels through the country, the Belize side was fairly orderly and straightforward. This took the sting, somewhat, out of the hefty departure fee ($18.75/person).

The system broke down as soon as we passed through the gates into Guatemala, which was teeming with backpackers. If it wasn’t for the assistance of our English-speaking, 14 year-old guide, Edwin, we may still be there. The steps on this side of the border were:

1. Pull over and have our tires fumigated ($5.50);

2. Park the van, go inside and pay the municipal tax ($3)

3. Get photocopies taken of my license, passport and van registration ($5.50); and

5. Go next door to the bank and pay the customs fee ($3).

Once free of the messy border process, we drove over a small river and were deposited in a tiny town with dirt streets, the road conditions and standard of living here noticeably worse than in Belize.

We stopped for gas - believing it was far cheaper than in Belize, it wasn't - and to take in our new surroundings.

We had made it to Guatemala, a country the size of Tennessee with 14 million inhabitants, the largest population base in Central America.

And with close to half the people being of Mayan descent, we soon saw why REM sang that “the people here are colorful and bright” in their haunting 1986 song, the “The Flowers of Guatemala”.

Key Facts & Figures:

Belize Border
-Departure Fee: $18.75/person

Guatemala border
-Fumigation: $5.50
-Vehicle paperwork: $5.50
-Municipal Tax: $3
-Customs Fee: $3
-Tip for guide: $2