I wake up in Chetumal Mexico. While stuffing my possessions in my bags, I realize I would have more room if I put my chain guide back on the bike. I had to take it off back when I broke my chain to give clearance for the welded link.

I also tighen up this bolt that keeps coming loose. This time I put lock-tite on it. It shouldn’t come loose anymore.

I check over the bike some more and happen to find this.
Oh No! (Jerry Seinfield voice)

I m suposted to cross the boarder today. Now I need to find a rotor for the Husky. I skip the idea of looking for a place that has one in stock in Mexico. I go straight to my pit crew. advrider.com. I post some questions in the Husky forum and call the Kirks Cycle in Dalton GA. I get the rotor ordered and find out it will take a few days for it to get to their shop. I decide to have it shipped to Guatemala so I don’t have to wait in Mexico or Belize for it. Dogtown hooked me up with an address to have it shipped to and take off for boarder while trying not to use the front brake. It works fine, I just don’t know how safe it is to be doing this. Oh well, I’ll have a new one on in a few days. No problem.

Lunch and for 20 pesos you can’t lose. Well, maybe you can. The manayase she spread on the bun has been sitting in the sun for who knows how long. (Not used to the new camera. My finger got in the way)

potato and pork. Pork is really really common in Mexico. Beef is harder to find.

These are everwhere. Electric and they turn on a dime. Pretty cool and easy on the environment.

My first boarder crossing in 40 or so days. This car was on the boarder. I wonder what its story is? Whatever the case it is not a good sign.

Signing out of Mexico is easy. The lady at the desk said I didn’t need to cancel my Vehicle permit if I was going to drive back through. That would save me some money. I canceled it anyway for two reasons.

1. I do not want my bike to be registered in more than one country at a time. What if it breaks down and I can’t drive it home? Then I would have a paperwork battle with Mexico and the other countries it would be registed in.

2. The main reason though is I am going to try to take a boat from Panama to Flordia or the east coast somewhere. I am taking my time getting there and don’t feel the need to travel back though the same countries to get home.

Signing into Belize was also simple. No lines, quick, fast, efficent. It took me longer enter America from Sault Saint Marie Canada in January.

I didn’t even show them a drivers license. Just my passport and title. You are required to get insurance though through a 3rd party. It is $10 per day or $14 for a week. Needless to say I purchased a week. Here they asked to see my drivers license. Now it makes sence that the boarder patrol didn’t ask to see it. Mexico has them beat though. You don’t need insurance or a license.

I took my time at the insurance place and no one else came in the entire time. Why is no one else visiting Belize?

Food time. $3 and not good, but I was hungry. (Finger again)

ok, I am gassed up, full and in Belize. Where should I go now? Belize city I guess.

The first thing I notice about Belize is the houses. They are not all concrete like in Mexico. Most of them are built with wood and have wood siding. My mom would love looking at the nice ones. Unfortunatly there are very few nice ones. Infact Belize is looking really poor. Why is everything so expensive here then?

It only takes about two hours to get there so I take some photos along the way. Now I realize how small this country is, and that is really small.

I havn’t seen a tree like this before.

Again no one is here. Belize seems empty. The only vehicles on the road are these trucks.

Then I find the motherload.

This line winds around for about 1 mile and it never moved while I was there. The trucks are all shut off and the drivers are sleep in the cab waiting. It is a huge sugar cane plant/factory. I keep going.

The closer I get to Belize City the more “houses” look like this.

Lonely Planet says Belize City is fairly safe, with the most dangerous part being near the river. The hostel I chose to afford is next to the river. It is a dump, but at $12 US it is the cheapest option. Everywhere else was at least $30 US a night. It is dark now and I am hungry. The semi-slow French Canadian (More on him later) running the show suggests I eat at “Peoples” He says I can eat there or bring it back. Whatever I do, the hotel locks the door at 10.

I did not like the two block walk to “Peoples” restaurant. This is the most sketchy area I have been in so far. The locals are hanging out in the street and stairing you down as you walk by. No photos here. Just walk confident and mind your own business. Spit on the road a few times to look tougher.

Once inside Peoples I don’t feel much safer

The menu is on the wall and the workers are behind the bars. The language is English so it is easy to communicate. They are all business here though. Not too much chit chat. I get my shrimp curry to go and make the walk back to the hotel. For being a dump the hotel is set-up really nice. The rooms are on the second floor and there is a locked gate comming up the stairs that protects a balcony looking over the road. Here is where the guests linger and it is safe up here, but you feel connected to what is going on outside at the same time. I eat here and a guys begs for my food. I am pretty much full so I hand down what I have left.

Three of us and the Crazy Canadian hangout on the porch for the next few hours swapping stories. One man’s life has been completely twisted and turned upside down in the last few months. It is a wake-up call for me about the dangers of traveling. He is an example that things can go from good to bad to unexplainably horrible in a matter of weeks. I decide that I want the world to hear his story. The world NEEDS to hear it. I am going to stay here a few days and make a documentary on this man. The Canadian worker locks the front door at 10 and we all go to bed.

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