Motorcycle to South America – Border Crossings – Belize to Guatemala

After the border crossing from Mexico to Belize, this one was easy.  As if Belize hadn’t wrung enough money out of us with its overpriced yet mediocre everything, they charge you $37.50 BD per person just to leave the country.  First world prices with third world standards (but we speak English [sort of]), that should be the new motto for Belize.  Either way, I was happy enough to fork over $37.50 US for the two of us knowing that would be the very last dollar I spend in Belize.  But you’d think, for all the money they collect, there could be just one good road in the country.  Nope.  There are literally five roads in Belize and they’re all terrible.  We easily drove half the miles of pavement in the country.  Aren’t cost of living and access to / quality of resources and infrastructure supposed to coincide?   I blame corruption.  Way to go Belize, way to dump all that tourist money right into your fat pockets and let the people (and the visitors) in your country suffer.  At least the English taught you how to make beer.  There’s that, but I digress.

We paid the $37.50 US to leave Belize.  Don’t forget you have to stop in the customs office and cancel your vehicle import.  It’s the door with the giant sign on it that say do not enter, wrong way, don’t go here.  Yeah, that one.  Just go in there and they’ll get you sorted out.  Again, Keli walked through the border while I rode.  No particular problems leaves you in the no man’s land.  You’re not in Belize, but you’re not in Guatemala yet either.

Border processes in Guatemala are straight forward.  First stop immigration, get your passport stamped, pay $5 Us for two people and off to customs.  As long as you have your motorcycle paperwork in order about 20 minutes and $20 US and you’ll be riding into Guatemala.  Make sure to have a copy of your passport and drivers license handy.  I want to point out that it cost us less to get into Guatemala than it did to get out of Belize.  After about  an hour all said and done we were cruising the amazingly soft, pothole free pavement just the other side of the border.  It won’t last long, but it sure feels good while it does.  Off to see Guatemala!