Week 4 -- January 31

January 31:
Our plans to kayak and snorkel along the beach in the morning were hijacked by a storm that rolled in early in the day—the wind whipped up the water and heavy showers passed through. After a brief walk along the beach we hung out on the pier again, not particularly looking forward to the three hour drive to Belize City. After packing up and eating lunch we met our driver at 1 pm. He was young, and we soon learned, fearless. We crammed our luggage into the trunk of his small four door sedan and embarked on the ride from hell. Once we hit the Hummingbird Highway, our driver adopted a racing mentality—hug the road, push it to the limit, and deny mortality. I was startled when I noticed halfway through the trip the check engine light was on. I could only envision the smoking wreckage strewn along the barrier free roadside, king vultures swooping down to recover what hadn’t already been charred to smithereens. Once we hit the Western Highway, our driver seemed to regain his senses, and the traffic increased, a welcome sign of civilization, and the promise that ambulances and hospitals were nearby. The drive through Belize City was eye-opening. The slummy streets were crowded with people and cheap merchandise. I was happy to arrive at The Great House, which seemed to be in a safer neighborhood, especially with the Radisson directly across the street. While its heyday has passed, the rooms at The Great House were nice, with hardwood floors (teak?) and lovely hardwood furniture, a rare thing these days. After settling in we had drinks at the hotel bar and then had dinner at the Radisson.