Ripe for a Tourist Trap
Belize - March 04, 2006
In Guatemala, we decided to spend a little extra to take an express bus that was to take a mere four hours (Flores to Belize City) as opposed to the standard chicken bus taking 10 hours. We were told this express/tourist bus was quite large and supposedly very comfortable as well, complete with A/C and a bathroom. Those amenities are rarities we have not seen thus far on a bus.
We were however, ripe to fall in a tourist trap. The representative at the bus agency promised a four-hour bus ride, and even arranged transit through the border with the same (large, comfortable) bus. Not so at all as we soon found out. The bus was average sized, not very comfortable, no A/C, no bathroom and it took almost twice the time (seven hrs)! Our supposed luxury bus was no more than a standard local bus. And there was definitely no arranged border crossing. The border passage was an unorganized, uncoordinated mess. Loud masses of people meandered around like a herd of blind cattle moving from station to station with corrupt officials demanding different amounts of exit fees at whim.
This experience is just another of the many lessons we have learned with bus travel: Avoid anything that is marketed strictly to tourists and stick to the trusty yet crazy local chicken buses.
-Patrick