Next stop: Bacalar, Mexico!

Five of us (three British women and two Germans) set off for the Mexican border the next morning. We had already researched bus connections from Belize City to Bacalar, our first destination in Mexico. However, the information we found was quite different. And so our journey turned out to be a bit different and not at all what we had expected...

Everything went smoothly until Belize City, but then we had to figure out how to find a bus or a shuttle to Bacalar, which meant crossing the Mexican border. As soon as we got off the ferry, we were approached from different sides. However, the prices for the rides varied greatly. In the end, we decided to take a taxi to the bus station, as there should be an express bus to Bacalar from there. But when we arrived, it turned out that the express bus wouldn't leave until late afternoon and our only alternative was a local (chicken) bus to the border. We chose the chicken bus. After all, there were five of us and we would find a way to get there together.

The ride to the border went smoothly and took less time than we expected. At the border, we first had to pay an exit fee on the Belize side. Meanwhile, we left our luggage (somewhat reluctantly) on the bus, which picked us up again and took us to the Mexican border. There, we had to fill out some forms, but other than the interested looks our little group of women received from the border officers, everything went smoothly there as well. And then, we were already in Mexico! However, the place at the border was completely deserted. We couldn't find a bus, a taxi, let alone a currency exchange or a bank to get pesos. With the help of a friendly Mexican student, who apparently could tell from our confusion that we needed assistance and was glad to practice his English, we finally exchanged money at a supermarket and found two taxis that took us to Bacalar. Of course, the taxi I was in was immediately stopped by the police on the highway and our papers were checked, but none of the officers had any objections and we were allowed to continue on our way.

Bacalar is a small town in southeastern Mexico, located on a lagoon known for its beautiful turquoise blue water. In the old town, there are some small shops, restaurants, and a fortress. It had a rather sleepy atmosphere, which may have been due to our arrival on a Sunday afternoon. Our hostel offered a shuttle service to the lagoon, which we decided to take the next morning because there didn't seem to be much else to do. In the evening, we organized some more cash, cooked, and ate together at the hostel.

We spent the whole next day in the sun, in the hammock by the truly beautiful blue lagoon. It was a really nice, relaxing day, which was much needed after the somewhat adventurous journey of the previous day. But in the end, we all agreed that we wanted to continue to Tulum the next day, so that's what we did.