So, here I am in Belize City you could cut the tension with a knife. I'm currently imprisoned in my hostel because a Police curfew has blocked people from going out at night.
It's six thirty and I've had to have an early supper of Chicken, Rice and Beans, most delicious, because the hostel I am residing in has to lock up and shut up for the night; all three front doors are barricaded.
Upon reaching my destination, all 18 hours bus ride from wet, happy, friendly Antigua I arrived into the lions den being greeted by calls of 'go slow man but don't go so slow that they will shoot ya.' Lovely. I had a day to kill before Lucy arrived and the humid, sunny outlook of Belize City looked more and more unappetising.
I decided to take an afternoon stroll, leaving all my possessions at home, allbeit a cautionary $5 in case of anything untoward. I was greeted by attitude, leering and the customary spitting; again lovely. I managed to hang out with a local, he was friendly, for 30 minutes or so, whilst we chatted history and I bought him a beer. Money talks.
Amidst in conversation, English sadly not Spanish, he warned me "you nah wanna b ouuut during dark man, yah white bah be shot!" I frowned as most would but he went onto explain how the gangs were taking over and they had bigger guns than the police, pointing out if I or he for that matter walked down that road (all of 50metres away) we would be either kindnapped, stabbed or shot. I didnt ask whether he was joking because he showed me the slash marks on his back from a previous encounter.
I slowly ambled back to my hostel for a night of reading and sleeping, the unbearable heat took a hold of me and I thankfully (and safely) went to the land of nod.
Lucy was arriving the next day and we were heading out of this horror story into the balmy waters of Caye Caulker. Cannot wait is an understatement!! (No photos because I didnt want to lose my camera!)
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