Kjørte fra Belmopan med mål om å komme meg over grensen til Guatemala og så videre opp til Tikal. Turen til grensen gikk helt greit, å grensepasseringen gikk også greit. Det sto selvfølgelig noen guttunger der som skulle hjelpe deg gjennom (10-15 år gamle). Jeg sa jeg ikke trengte hjelp men det endte selvfølgelig med at en av guttungene like vell hang seg på.
Jeg hadde funnet følgede «oppskrift» på nettet tidligere å fulgte den. Dermed ble alt så mye enklere 🙂 Guttungen som fortsatt hang på trådde inn i snakket Spansk for meg når jeg kom til Guatemala siden hvor ett par av personene bak skranken nektet å snakke Engelsk.
Border name: Melchor de Mencos
Between cities: Benque Viejo Del Carmen, Belize and Melchor de Mencos, Guatemala
Cost to exit Belize: BZ37.50 ($18.75 USD)
Cost for visas: Q20 ($2.60 USD) per person (unofficially)
Cost for vehicle: Q18 ($2.34 USD) for fumigation, Q160 ($20.78 USD) for Vehicle Import Permit
Total time: 55 minutes
The steps:
1. Go to the Belize immigration building.
2. Pay the exit fee at the first counter.
3. Have your passport stamped at the second counter.
4. The driver takes the Belize vehicle permit to a third counter (the customs desk) on the
side. Where the permit is cancelled.
5. Passengers meet the driver on the other side of the customs checkpoint and proceed to
Guatemala.
6. First stop is the huge fumigation area. Your car is sprayed as you drive through. Pay the
man upon exit and get a fumigation receipt.
7. Walk to the open air customs and immigration building.
8. Stand in the “Entrada” line. Get passports stamped and pay Q20 per person fee. There
is no receipt for this fee, it isn’t official. And we probably could have argued our way
out of it.
9. Go to another man on the left side of the long counter. Present vehicle title, drivers
passport and copies of both documents. He will give you a printed form with your
vehicle information and the amount you have to pay.
10. Go to the cashier window on the other side of the big building. Present the vehicle
paperwork and pay the fee. The cashier will stamp the paperwork and return it to you.
11. Go back to the vehicle import counter and show the official your stamped receipt from
the cashier. He will issue you a permit sticker for your windshield and give you a paper
permit and the receipt. He will keep the copies of your title and the drivers ID.
12. Return to your car and affix the sticker, we were told on the top drivers side corner of
the windshield, then drive towards the bridge.
13. An officer will stop you and ask for your permit paperwork. He may take the paperwork to the side and consult with his gun toting colleagues. Then hopefully, he’ll return the paperwork and wave you through.
Etter å ha stoppet på en Texaco stasjon i Guatemala for å ta ut noen kontanter fortsatte turen mot Tikal. Veiene var stort sett bram å jeg var fremme ved Tikal nasjonalpark klokken 1430. Etter å ha snakket med folkene som jobbet der, ble vi enige om at jeg burde vente til klokka hadde passert 15 for da ville min billett være gyldig både for denne dagen og for neste dag.
Fremme i selve parken booket jeg inn på Jaguar inn å tilbrakte kvelden sammen med ett par fra Australia å noen apekatter rundt om i trærne. Det var litt torden utpå kvelden men ikke regn. Stort mer er det vell ikke å nevne om denne dagen.
It’s not the destination, but the journey, that matters. 