bernardbarbour
Observer
Belize border crossing in the morning.
Day 14: 2984 miles traveled so far! We are at the border of Belize! We stayed just outside of Chetumal last night, at a great campground called, "Gringo Dave's Last Resort". It is located directly on a lagoon, Laguna de los Milagros (Lagoon of Miracles). The trip from Villahermosa to Chetumal was probably the flattest straightest stretch of road we were on in a long time. There was not much to see, and we were able to maintain 65 mph almost the entire way. Short of a few topes, it was a smooth 7 hour trip.
We wanted to stop back in to see our friend Gringo Dave. We met him when we stayed at his resort in 2012 on one other Mexico trip. We like the location as it is so close to the border of Belize. It makes for a smooth transition in the morning for the crossing. Wow! There were so many updates and new cabanas from the last time we were here. Dave has done some amazing things here. The camping is great, the prices cheap, and the views amazing. The cabanas are literally jutting out over the waters edge. As I write this, Im sitting on a patio suspended over the lagoon in front of one of the palapa roof cabanas. The breezes is refreshing and the sound of water lapping on the shore melodic. In the distance is very tasteful Mexican music playing at a local restaurant. Dave welcomed us back as old friends. After catching up for a while, he invited us to go have dinner at "Mama's". It is a local lady that makes empanadas and many other authentic Mexican meals. She serves right in front porch of her home. We all had our fill, while talking and laughing. The total bill for 5 of us? 147 pesos (about $11.50 us) Dinner was not until after dark. We walked back from the little home based restaurant around 8:30. Though it was dark, and no streetlights, children were playing in the streets, men were playing on the street corner (dominoes), and families were gathered on their front porches. We were greeted openly, "Buenas Noches". Everyone seemed to know Dave as he is a big part of the community. We enjoyed the excellent wifi, and electricity included with our campsite. We set up directly on the lagoon for the best views. Bernard and Tammy had taken the kayak out for a sunset cruise earlier, enjoying the last of the sunshine before it went down. The kayak now was beached right between our tents, ready for the next go around. We got hot showers in one of the cabanas (although there are public showers, Dave offered the use of the cabana we parked next to. All of the amenities one could ask for all for $10 US for the night. You cant beat that! If you are planning a trip to Chetumal for any reason, we highly recommend you check out Dave's place. He has camping for tents, campers, and RV's, along with 5 Super delux cabannas that are all waterfront. Those go for $600 pesos per night (about $47.00 US/night). Or his deluxe units for $300 pesos (about $24/night). We will definitely be back, as it is a great place! www.gringodaveslastresort.com The coordinates are This morning we are headed into Chetumal to do some last minute shopping, picking up supplies before we head over the border. We are excited about the crossing today. We are invited to stop in and see Eric Burson from Inn @ Corozol in Corozol Belize (a member of On the road in Belize). Stay tuned, as our post going forward will now all be from Belize.
Day 14: 2984 miles traveled so far! We are at the border of Belize! We stayed just outside of Chetumal last night, at a great campground called, "Gringo Dave's Last Resort". It is located directly on a lagoon, Laguna de los Milagros (Lagoon of Miracles). The trip from Villahermosa to Chetumal was probably the flattest straightest stretch of road we were on in a long time. There was not much to see, and we were able to maintain 65 mph almost the entire way. Short of a few topes, it was a smooth 7 hour trip.
We wanted to stop back in to see our friend Gringo Dave. We met him when we stayed at his resort in 2012 on one other Mexico trip. We like the location as it is so close to the border of Belize. It makes for a smooth transition in the morning for the crossing. Wow! There were so many updates and new cabanas from the last time we were here. Dave has done some amazing things here. The camping is great, the prices cheap, and the views amazing. The cabanas are literally jutting out over the waters edge. As I write this, Im sitting on a patio suspended over the lagoon in front of one of the palapa roof cabanas. The breezes is refreshing and the sound of water lapping on the shore melodic. In the distance is very tasteful Mexican music playing at a local restaurant. Dave welcomed us back as old friends. After catching up for a while, he invited us to go have dinner at "Mama's". It is a local lady that makes empanadas and many other authentic Mexican meals. She serves right in front porch of her home. We all had our fill, while talking and laughing. The total bill for 5 of us? 147 pesos (about $11.50 us) Dinner was not until after dark. We walked back from the little home based restaurant around 8:30. Though it was dark, and no streetlights, children were playing in the streets, men were playing on the street corner (dominoes), and families were gathered on their front porches. We were greeted openly, "Buenas Noches". Everyone seemed to know Dave as he is a big part of the community. We enjoyed the excellent wifi, and electricity included with our campsite. We set up directly on the lagoon for the best views. Bernard and Tammy had taken the kayak out for a sunset cruise earlier, enjoying the last of the sunshine before it went down. The kayak now was beached right between our tents, ready for the next go around. We got hot showers in one of the cabanas (although there are public showers, Dave offered the use of the cabana we parked next to. All of the amenities one could ask for all for $10 US for the night. You cant beat that! If you are planning a trip to Chetumal for any reason, we highly recommend you check out Dave's place. He has camping for tents, campers, and RV's, along with 5 Super delux cabannas that are all waterfront. Those go for $600 pesos per night (about $47.00 US/night). Or his deluxe units for $300 pesos (about $24/night). We will definitely be back, as it is a great place! www.gringodaveslastresort.com The coordinates are This morning we are headed into Chetumal to do some last minute shopping, picking up supplies before we head over the border. We are excited about the crossing today. We are invited to stop in and see Eric Burson from Inn @ Corozol in Corozol Belize (a member of On the road in Belize). Stay tuned, as our post going forward will now all be from Belize.
