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1.First to the Belize Departure Hall and pay the Bl37.50 each Departure Tax and have passports stamped
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2.At second desk the passports are stamped.
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3.Through to Customs in the entry hall and hand over the Belize temporary import papers.
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4.Drive through the RHS of the Departure Hall where the passports are checked.
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5.Drive through the automatic fumigation booth. Cost Q59.13
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6.Park the vehicle on left of the booth.
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7.Need copy of Passport, International Drivers Licence and Registration papers.
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8.Visit money changers. Check best rate amongst the dealers.
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9.Customs. Stamped passports Q20/person
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10.Moved to LHS and completed paperwork for vehicle.
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11.Go to bank, where the armed guard will allow you to go first as a tourist. Pay Q160 for vehicle entry.
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12.Return to counter and give receipt for the Q160 payment and receive temporary vehicle import permit, copy of customs declaration and copy of bank receipt.
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13.Drive across the bridge where the paperwork is checked together with the VIN number.
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14.The guy in the hut on the left will stamp the paperwork.
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15.On the other side of the bridge the toll booth will cost you Q50/vehicle
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16.Total cost Q350 or about US$50.
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17.NOTE: Do not refuel at the Puma fuel station. see below
Travel in Guatemala:
Currency is Quetzals and US$1 = Q8
Everyone is friendly and happy to wave.
Cornfields are everywhere. On every road you'll see men, women and children carrying burdens of firewood to be used for heating and cooking.
It seems that every province has its own dress and we see the differences as we travel the country. Always colourful, mostly traditional.
The women and girls get the job of carrying things on their heads, rising bread in tins, pots of water, bundles of clothes and all kinds of things wrapped in bundles. The little ones learn at an early age. We are constantly amazed.
The markets are fascinating. At one we were awakened early by cars arriving and turkeys gobbling and pigs squealing. The markets were only a short walk, but nothing prepared us for the sights, sounds and smells we were about to experience. It was a sensory overload. It was a local market not a tourist market.
The plaza came ablaze with the colourful costumes from a dozen surrounding villages, and neatly arranged displays of meat, vegetables housewares and clothing occupy every available space.
Then we found the live animal trading section, where turkeys clung to their owners, pigs refused to go to new owners, cows looked confused and cats, dogs and rabbits wished they just weren't there. It was bedlam.
We spent around three hours there and could have spent another three, there was so much to take in. It was fascinating. We bought 13 Ruby bananas for about $o.60.
Banks and ATMs are available in larger towns and when you go in to some of the ATM machines, there are three armed guards outside for your protection.
Guatemala Driving:
The Pan American is mostly a dual carriageway but other roads are single lane and twist and turn and generally disappear within a town.
Many of the mountain roads are in poor condition, often with slippages and landslides covering part of the road.
A good GPS will only partly help thru the maze of one way streets. Drivers are courteous, but inner city buses are aggressive as they race each other to pick up passengers.
Camping:
Camping is available for a small fee around Q10 to Q20 ($1 to 2.50) in Nat Park Car Parks.
In privately run tourist attractions try to negotiate free camping as part of entry fee.
Roadside camping difficult but not impossible to find.
In towns, talking to people will often open possibilities for free camping.
A couple of the places we camped have had guards with riot guns !!
Food:
Only large towns have supermarkets with meat and vegetables, in smaller towns the the so called supermarkets only sell processed food.
It is better to purchase fruit and vegetables in country markets and from roadside stralls.
Bread ia available from Panaderia’s
Roadside and market foor stores are cheap, one place in the town of Saint Francis we had a small piece of steak with rice and beans and a cup of sweet black coffee for about $1.50 each
Fuel:
Fuel at the border between Belize and Guatemala do beware of the Puma service station on the Guatemala side. All 3 vehicles in our group lost 25% economy because of mixing of kerosene with the diesel.
Diesel is Q36/gal ($4.50/Gal) and varies only +/- Q1 everywhere. Petrol about 10% more. Some petrol stations have armed guards with riot guns.
Most larger towns accept credit card. Some not MasterCard. Visa ok.
Fuel gets cheaper...Q33 closer to Guatemala city.
Internet:
Internet is available in towns in Internet cafe, but not wifi. Some restaurants like Taco Bell have WiFi.
For more informations see: http://www.drivetheamericas.com/guatemala
For our actual Travel Diary through Guatemala see: 2012 GoannaTracks Across Guatemala
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