February 16, 2011 (Wednesday) [Leaving San Pedro: Again…]: Part One

Today I had to be sure to wake up at 6:00 AM (without an alarm clock s usual) so I could once again pack my bags and make sure I catch the 7:30 water taxi to Chetumal, Mexico (I was told to be there at 7:00 AM to make sure I got a seat). I had paid for my ticket (US$30.00) the night before just in case. While waiting on the dock (directly in front of my Hotel—the fabulous Spindrift) I met a friendly and interesting young (29 years) couple from Australia. They told me about the whirlwind world tour they were in the middle of – and mentioned a bunch of the exciting places they had already been on their voyage. They had already been to a number of great U.S. cities and would soon be heading to Europe. They gave me their web site (www.aviandange.com) which is no longer an active site but was active when I checked it upon my return to Minnesota in late February. It was a great web site which featured a map showing all the places they traveled and a bunch of interesting commentary about their adventures (too bad it is no longer active). I commended them for taking their dream “Ferdinand Magellan Voyage” while they are still young and energetic rather than waiting until they are old and feeble (or never at all) as happen with most people. 

The San Pedro Belize Express Water Taxi was running a bit late on this particular morning, and we did not actually get underway until about 8:00 AM.

The weather was great for the cruise and the water was calm, so it was both a comfortable and beautiful experience. In no time at all – it seemed (it generally takes about 90 minutes)—we were pulling into the port at Chetumal. As you can see from the map (below), the water taxi brings you from the southern tip of Ambergris Caye all the way to the top of the Bay of Chetumal (which separates Belize from Mexico).

There were only a handful of fellow travelers on the boat, and during the voyage one of the water taxi employees (they have excellent employees by the way) told us about the van service they offer as an alternative to the “luxury bus” than ran daily from Chetumal to Cancun and Playa del Carmen. Two of the best things about traveling by water are that you pay a slightly smaller "departure tax" for leaving Belize than you have to pay if you leave via bus or automobile and the customs process is much "classier" when you travel by sea. Just for fun I decided to take the van to Playa del Carmen offered by the San Pedro Belize Express Water Taxi people. I could have taken the bus for about US$18.00, and the van cost US$30.00 -- but it would save the taxi ride to the terminal and would be yet another adventure. It was a fortuitous decision on my part, because on the long van ride I met two of the coolest young guys I could have hoped to meet along the way. One of the guys-- Trygve-- was from Norway, and his friend -- Tobias-- was Swedish.

A Photo of Me with My New Friend Trygve from Norway (on the beach in Playa)

My Other New Friend-- Tobias -- from Sweden

Fortunately, both Tobias and Trygve both spoke English well, because I can speak hardly a word of either of their languages. We had a lot to chat about along the way, and the van stopped at a tourist spot called the Blue Cenote for lunch. The cenote was beautiful and was supposedly over 200 feet deep. We saw several of the hotel patrons swimming right outside the hotel. The Scandinavians told me they had been in Playa del Carmen for a few days but got bored, so on impulse they decided to go to Belize to check the place out. They had no idea how far it was, so they were in for a shock when their taxi driver told them the price for the trip was US$120.00. But just imagine how much it would cost for a four hour taxi ride anywhere in the USA! We finally arrived in Playa and I had absolutely no idea where I was going, so I got off at the same place my new friends got off. They mentioned that they had seen a sign for a very reasonable hotel room near their place, and they even helped me find it. It was nothing fancy, but it was only 300 pesos per night (about US$30.00) and it was right in the middle of Playa del Carmen -- on the famous Fifth Avenue - so I was "all in". Their hotel was nearby, so we agreed to meet at the place next door to my hotel called Siesta Fiesta - which they said was their favorite mojito bar in Playa-- at 7:00 PM for some adventures. To be continued...