Interesting fact...Belize's road network consists of over 3,000 kilometers/1,900 miles of road of which 575 kilometers/357 miles is paved!

*The map of Belize that an official handed us at the border…seem's pretty straight forward!*

*Riding from the Insurance office and through a burn off, the country side opened up into a lush paradise!*

I was excited to be in a new country! My hesitation of leaving the accustomed comforts of Mexico were quickly drifting. A warm blush of adventure was now taking over as "the feel" of Belize encapsulated my bike and body. My first imprint of Belize was a mass of vivid overgrown greenery and a feeling that this country is tropically raw. The vibe is very "Caribbean Island like" …totally different to that of neighboring Mexico. You could almost swear that you actually entered the country by boat! If you feel like you had stepped back in time in areas of Mexico, then Belize has it beat! Groupings of wooden houses on stilts, all leaning to various degrees lined the poorly maintained paved road as we rode through villages. Some houses were brightly painted like a handful of "skittles" and some were in a sad, very deteriorated and dilapidated state. Almost all houses had washing hanging from them. Belizeans were out and about, riding bicycles, working roadside on their cars, chatting with neighbors, chill'n on their front porches, or tending their roadside stalls. It seems like a very harmonious and relaxed culture!

We do not have any electronic navigation for Belize, only a paper map. I can already see that I am going to have a hard time keeping this tool dry as we begin to ride in and out of sporadic tropical showers. Our destination today is Orange Walk the second largest city in Belize, only an hour away from the border.

*Checking out accommodations in steamy Orange Walk*

*Parking is secure…so we decide to call it a day, and stop for the night in Orange Walk Town, Belize*

*Walking into down town Orange Walk to find a place for dinner.*