A few days before Christmas, Lucy from Via Venture suggested we think about starting our Coast to Coast ride from the small town of Hopkins instead of Belize City. We took the suggestion and this proved to be a good thing.We landed on January 9th, through low tropical clouds and pouring rain. We had a few hours before John would arrive from Seattle so we headed into Belize City for lunch and to look around with Jose, our driver. He took us to a small, local restaurant, Neri’s, where three of us ate chicken curry and Steve bravely tried the authentic ‘boil up’. (There was never a dish more aptly named, so you get the idea.) We paid close attention to our bellies in the hours that followed but we all felt fine.
Belize City is quite a sight: dirty, run down, old, impoverished, potholed dirt roads, and like most third world cities, a lot of people milling around doing nothing. We wafted through the scent of ganja more than once on our short tour of town. As Jose drove us, and we bumped and splashed our way through the city, we were glad that we changed plans and chose to stay elsewhere. On the drive out of town, over the badly surfaced and heavily trafficked Western Highway, we were relieved we would not be riding this stretch on bikes. We met John at the airport and headed south to Hopkins.
The Jaguar Reef resort is right on the Caribbean Sea and caters mostly to divers. It was fine but it would be the most expensive place we stayed throughout the trip and far from the nicest.
Our apartment ($500 US for the night) was small and tight but we all managed to build our bikes successfully, (and simultaneously!), in a small sitting area that was little bigger than 12 x 12 feet. We were apprehensive about the rain and the long ride ahead of us but after a few cold Belikans we slept fine.Day One dawned gray, damp and windy but it was not raining. Loaded up on coffee, fruit and bread and eager to get going after months of planning, we dipped our rear wheels in the sea, took the required photos and videos and headed out to the start.
Two things stand out about this ride. The wind was strong and head on for many early miles. We tried to ride a paceline to ease the way but we had never ridden together before and we arrived in Belize in various states of fitness. As we each took our turns at the front, no one wanted to seem weak so, predictably, we rode far harder into this wind than we should have. We would all pay for it later in the day. Boys will be boys after all, and middle aged boys will be even worse…
On the other hand, the Hummingbird Highway was a delight to ride. The surface was 
good and the lack of traffic was better. We rode for miles through groves of oranges and grapefruit. We would stop at will, pick a few pieces and enjoy them on the side of the road. Delicious fruit and a real boost to tired cyclists. We passed some guys weighing watermelons by the side of the road. John, the Spanish speaker among us, engaged them in much talking and even more laughing and we were soon eating free watermelon. A tasty and hydrating pick me up after 50 or so miles.
The Hummingbird also gave us our first taste of hills as we were riding through the eastern limits of the Cockscomb Range. The hills were not long but some were steep. And of course they were nothing like what we would ride in Guatemala but they tested our lungs, our legs and our gears. It is unnerving and worrying when, on Day One, you need the granny gear to get up only a few hundred feet!
At around 70 miles the quiet road gave way at Belmopan, the capital, where we turned southwest on to the Western Highway. We were tired, hungry and saddle sore and now had to negotiate potholes, traffic and waning daylight, but we made it to San Ignacio de Cayo right at dusk. The Hotel San Ignacio is a nice place
but it sits atop the nastiest little hill anywhere. A hundred yards of near vertical after 87 miles! I do believe that two of us got off and walked up this one, but I’ll never say who….In all it was good day – ambitious for our first day to be sure, but a good solid effort. Totals: 87.5 miles; 3800 feet of climbing (gross); 300 feet net gain.
So we did have a good ride in Belize and a fine start to our journey but we were all looking forward to crossing the border into Guatemala. There is little that is exotic about Belize: from the official language (English) to the currency (B$ fixed at US$ 2 to 1), to the ‘boil up’, etc. Guatemala on the other hand was a mystery. Spanish and Mayan dialects would dominate the trip now. There would be colorful money called Quetzales. Tamales, frijoles and coffee. Mountains, not just hills, were ahead of us. Indians, dirt roads, and jungle - all this awaited us over the border. And of course we heard stories of the banditos….
Next up: Peten.
(kgb 3/11/10)
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