So I’m learning that it rains A LOT in Belize this time of the year.. It was raining when I woke up this morning but luckily it had stopped about an hour before I was ready to roll out.

The roads out of Crooked Tree weren’t too bad this morning. Everything dries up fairly quick around here.

I rode for about an hour before needing to stop for gas and an early lunch at a non-discript little town. At the gas station, I met a bunch of locals, all coming and going from the mini-mart store. Everyone I’ve met in Belize so far has been very friendly, with many coming over to ask where I’m from, going to, etc.. They all get a big kick out of the fact that I rode from Alaska. This one old black guy was a complete riot. When I told him I had come from Alaska, he literally got down on one knee and started hootin’ and hollerin’. 😆 All the while going on in creole english. It was definitely a sight to see.

Another thing worth noting is that gas is expensive here! $5.15USD/gallon.. so if you’re coming from Mexico be sure to fill up at the border before you cross.

After getting gas, I parked the bike in front of the store and went inside to get water and look for a Belize flag sticker for my pannier. After purchasing a few things, I grabbed lunch from the lady selling stuff at her food stand in the parking lot.

I’d never heard of Johnnycakes before so obviously that is what I had to have for lunch today. They are pretty much just a large baked biscuit that’s been sliced open and stuffed with ham. It was pretty good and cheap 🙂

After riding further South, I turned East onto the famous Hummingbird Highway. This road is supposed to be in one of the most beautiful areas of Belize as it meanders through the small Maya mountains. Unfortunately for me I wouldn’t get to see much of anything for the next 2 hours as I was completely down poured on.. Not just rain but monsoon type of stuff. I’d have to wait a few more days to enjoy this road since I’ll be riding it again over into Guatemala.

I rode into Hopkins which is a very small town right on the Caribbean. I didn’t have much of a plan, so after riding the length of the main road in town, I stopped at a cafe for coffee, an early dinner, and some wifi.

I read online about a place called the Tipple Tree Beya from another ride report, so I went to check that out.

I met the owners Tricia and Doug as I pulled in. They were doing renovations on the rooms, so they weren’t going to be available for a few days. They did have a Cabana available that I could stay in for 2 days, so I ended up doing that..and I got it for less than the price of a regular room! 🙂

This seemed like the perfect place to hang out for a day or 2 and also get caught up on things like doing laundry, etc.

As I’m typing this, I can hear the waves on the beach just a few meters away!

Of course, being the rainy season in Belize, it rained on and off throughout the rest of the day and into the night.