Mexico to Belize | Bumpy Boats & Immigration Points

As we ate our remaining quesadillas and sipped our remaining Coronas in a vigorous Mexican restaurant, a manner of melancholy crept over us. Our two months in Mexico had been stress-free, rejuvenating and precisely what we had been within the hunt for, nonetheless we weren’t anticipating to be so unhappy to go away this vibrant nation. We mirrored on our time correct proper right here and appreciated our remaining scrumptious Mexican meal. As we made our technique to the Chetumal pier, our unhappiness quickly melted away all through the extraordinary picture voltaic and we each turned excited for our subsequent paradise, Belize.

We had been greeted by stunning prices and costs after we arrived on the windy dock. Apparently there’s a $5 USD “port charge” together with a $25 USD charge (306 pesos) for exiting the nation. The considerably good immigration officers educated us “Should you flew into Mexico, this charge would have already been included in your ticket value”. The excellent news was that we did fly into Mexico, the damaging data was that we didn’t have the papers to point that we already paid this “vacationer” charge. Formally, there is no such thing as a such factor as a such issue as a charge for exiting Mexico and the fact that we flew into the nation should have been proof sufficient that this charge was already paid.

This usually is a border rip-off that you just simply every have to provide in to, or be ready for, by having the appropriate breakdown of flight prices despatched to you by your airline. You every pay the charge, current the right papers, in some other case you’ll be left sitting on the dock watching the boat depart with out you.

As we searched by way of our paperwork, we realized we nonetheless had our boarding go and printed itinerary. We crossed our fingers and hoped these would be ample. As our flip in line obtained proper right here, we launched the border patrol with these papers, which they instantly acknowledged had been incorrect paperwork. After about half-hour of speaking, smiling, pleading and being overly successfully mannered, we lastly bought our technique and so they additionally waived the charge!

On account of these border components, we had been the last word to board the San Pedro Belize Categorical Boat that may take us from Chetumal in Mexico to Caye Caulker in Belize. We regarded spherical, desperate to hunt out two areas to accommodate us. The small boat was full, with no acceptable seats, merely laborious benches to take a seat on. Realizing a bit about boats (and understanding that I are inclined to get nauseous when on them), we had been each praying that we wouldn’t be sitting on the doorway of this experience. Thankfully, we had been capable of finding two spots on the center bench and settled in for the bumpy journey forward.

The water was abnormally uneven and treacherous on this journey day. Though the picture voltaic was beaming down and the sky was shiny blue, the ocean was offended. By the first 10 minutes or so, the folks on the doorway of the boat had been laughing and having fulfilling with the extraordinary jolting upwards with every wave, and the inevitable slamming down laborious on the choice aspect. There have been no cushions on these benches and as we predicted, these smiles quickly turned to frowns and people joyful white faces quickly turned inexperienced.

Nick and I attempted to income from this 2 hour experience to our island paradise. We listened to our iPod, tried to speak (which was principally inconceivable due to loud engine) and put life jackets beneath our bottoms to scale back the subsequent numbness and soreness. Standing as loads as stretch our legs wasn’t an likelihood, in addition to we wished to be tossed to the choice aspect of the boat. We had been decreased to wiggling spherical and making an attempt to stretch our extended legs beneath the seat all via from us.

After a bit over two hours, we noticed wind up forward and started to get very excited. Our boat handed over the offshore reef and we had been immediately relieved. The waters had been glass-calm and all of us cheered at with the facility to lastly rise up! We had arrived at Ambergris Caye, the place immigration for the Northern Cayes is positioned.

We eagerly disembarked onto the picket pier that jutted out into the turquoise waters. By this diploma, the picture voltaic was setting and we knew we had been going to be arriving at our ultimate journey spot of Caye Caulker in the dead of night. As we had been ready in line, Nick and I made a decision to take a look at our exit stamp from Mexico. We purchased new passports after we had been dwelling in Canada and since we solely had a complete of two stamps in our passports, it shouldn’t have been troublesome to hunt out this exit stamp, Nick positioned his, whereas I used to be nonetheless frantically looking out for mine. Lastly I gave up, checked out Nick and shook my head.

The Mexican Immigration forgot to stamp me abroad!

All via our 4 years of journey, this has by no means occurred. So, we stood nervously in line on the rickety picket dock capable of see if the grumpy immigration girl would ship me as soon as extra into the uneven waters to Mexico. Fortunately, she was too busy yelling at a vacationer for taking {{a photograph}} that she didn’t even look in my passport, she merely stamped it and shoved it as soon as extra in my face.

Phew! Phrase to self: At all times check out for entry and exit stamps.

By the aim everybody was accomplished checking in to the nation of Belize, it was 7:00pm and darkish. We hopped as soon as extra on the ferry and appreciated the calm, moonlit, 30 minute experience to Caye Caulker. We had been greeted with Reggae music echoing from funky seashore bars and as quickly as our ft hit the tender sand, we knew this was a spot we had been going to need to keep some time.

***Goat Notes

• There’s just one boat per day from Chetumal to Ambergris Caye & Caye Caulker. It leaves at 3:00pm. From the Cayes as soon as extra to Chetumal, there’s just one boat. It leaves at 7:00am from Caye Caulker and eight:00am from Ambergris Caye.

• The price of a one-way ticket from Chetumal to Caye Caulker is $49.50. Info forward as this boat can replenish rapidly. You would e-book tickets on-line if in Mexico, or buy from the terminal if on the Cayes.

• Be sure to get a seat all through the guts or close to to the as soon as extra of the boat. In each different case, it’ll be a bumpy experience. Furthermore uncover, there usually are not any bogs on board and you is more likely to be solely given one small bottle of water to drink.

• As there are some extended formalities that have to be handled when leaving Mexico, assure to realize on the Chetumal pier not decrease than an hour earlier than departure.

• Should you arrived in Mexico by air, assure to have your airline ship you a breakdown of all taxes & charges that had been included in your ticket value. It is vital to to level immigration proof of fee of the “vacationer charge”. Must you’ll’t current it, it’s possible you’ll should pay 306 pesos (or beg and plead like we did!)

Have you ever ever ever ever had an immigration officer neglect to stamp you out of a rustic?! What occurred? Share with us under.

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