Occasionally, we like to take a gamble. It was a big one: taking the boat from Honduras to Belize. The catch? We had heard of a boat going between Puerto Cortes (Honduras) and Placencia (Belize) but the boat was only once a week, could only take about 30 passengers and the schedule was subject to change. We couldn’t buy the tickets beforehand either—we basically had to show up and see if there was actually a boat.

That’s why we ended up in Puerto Cortes on Sunday.

On Monday morning, it was pouring rain. The first rain we had since we left home and it had to be the day we needed good weather…!

We took a taxi to the boat terminal where we learned there was indeed a boat scheduled for Placencia. Soaked from the rain, dirty from the mud and sweaty from the heat, we bought the tickets and did the migracíon to exit Honduras.

Then we waited. We even had a quick breakfast—a baleada at the only food place around.

I’m a sea person. I grew up by the Atlantic Ocean and I can’t even remember learning to swim. I’ve always liked water, salt water preferably, and I spent most of my childhood playing in the waves and later surfing and windsurfing when I was a teen.

Needless to say, I’m usually very comfortable on boats. I’d take a boat ride over a bus ride anytime and I’m not scared of water.

So I was feeling pretty good about our 2.5 hour-long trip to Belize.

That said, the boat did look small.

We all climbed aboard and off we went. I quickly felt like we were a cork jerked around in the huge waves. A tiny boat in deep open water.

Okay, maybe not such a good idea.

Feng and I held hands.

I looked at the woman seating in front of me. She looked really sick. “Please don’t puke on me,” I begged mentally.

It got worse and worse. “Quieres una bolsa?” I asked her. She nodded. I handed her the plastic bag I got when I bought drinks at the supermarket in the morning. Hours ago. On dry land.

She got sick. In the bag, mercifully. Two seconds later, it was Feng’s turn.

I looked away. When someone gets sick, you feel sick too.

I was getting soaked from the waves. Hot too. The smell of diesel was overwhelming. I couldn’t breathe.

I got sick too. For a moment, I didn’t think we would make it.

There just wasn’t any comfortable position. My shorts were soaked, I was sliding towards the back of the boat, my muscles ached from absorbing the shocks and my hair was plastered to my face. Not a pretty sight.

And everyone in the boat was getting sick, some puking overboard, other staring blankly in front of them.

I closed my eyes and tried to focus on something.

Revolutionary songs.

Una mattina mi sono svegliato
e ho trovato l’invasor

More waves.

La cucaracha, la cucaracha
ya no puede caminar

Quick glance at Feng, whiter than a sheet.

Ya se mira el horizonte
Combatiente zapatista

Can’t see land anywhere. Breathe.

El pueblo unido jamás será vencido…
De pie, cantar
que vamos a triunfar.

Eventually, the boat slowed down. Big Creek, Belize.

The engine stopped and we all looked around us, confused, dizzy and still sick.

A Belize immigration officer climbed on board to stamp our passports and all the bags were unloaded from the boat. Half an hour later, we were back in for the final ride to Placencia—a mercifully short ride.

I can’t even think of food right now (highly unusual for me). I can’t even think, period.

This is the second time in all of our trips that we get sick in a boat, bus or whatever. The first time was in 2003 in Mexico between Oaxaca and Puerto Angel, a long ride that we never forgot (and later learned that everyone is sick in that bus). I guess we will add the boat ride between Honduras and Belize to our list.

The Boat, the D-Express
Pelicans
Puerto Cortes Harbour
The Migracion Office
Pelican
Before the Ride in Puerto Cortes…
… After the Ride From Hell in Big Creek, Belize

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10 Comments

  1. Tulsa Gentleman January 18, 2012 at 2:13 am

    I suppose it could have been worse. You could have been on an Italian cruise boat. What happened to the pelicans?

    Reply
    1. Zhu January 19, 2012 at 6:30 pm

      The pelicans were hanging out by the (dirty) shore 🙂

      Reply
  2. Sandra MacGregor January 18, 2012 at 5:13 am

    Hello

    So sorry about the boat ride! reminded me of the worst boat trip I have ever taken- was in Indonesia and we were taking the boat from Sape to Flores- It was an 8 hour boat ride and the other people aboard were clearly locals – the boat had a karaoke machine set up and the other passengers sang Indonesian songs on FULL volume for the full eight hours- I thought my head was going to explode! Oh well, those are the parts of a trip that make for a good story! Hopefully you will be able to laugh about it later!

    ps – how did you manage to have access to the internet for mot of your trip? Most of the places I have been to in Southern Africa (so far) have not had access to internet!

    Reply
    1. Zhu January 19, 2012 at 6:32 pm

      Ugh, I can imagine your boat ride (having been in noisy Chinese buses before!).

      A lot of places here have Internet access, even Wi-Fi, and I carry a small notebook to backup the pictures anyway. Writing a post and uploading the pictures takes me about an hour everyday. Some days, we don’t have Internet access, no biggie. There isn’t much to do at night here so Internet is my fun!

      Reply
  3. Isa January 18, 2012 at 7:57 am

    Jeez!!! I felt sick just reading you! I’m sure I couldn’t handle even the idea of such a ride!

    Reply
    1. Zhu January 19, 2012 at 6:32 pm

      Just thinking about it makes me sick!

      Reply
  4. London Caller January 18, 2012 at 8:04 am

    So there’s where you have been up to lately, Z! 😉
    I just came back from a short trip from Annecy.
    That’s a boat ride from Heaven.
    Have you been to that part of France before?
    Aww….. my heart skipped a beat when I looked at the snowy mountains, crystal clear water, canals, castle there.

    Reply
    1. Zhu January 19, 2012 at 6:33 pm

      Nope, never been to that part of France! I don’t know my birth country that well actually, come to think of it. Mostly the biggest cities and the Atlantic Coast.

      Reply
  5. ristinw January 20, 2012 at 3:18 am

    I feel nauseous now, by only reading your experience on the boat.
    > u <

    Reply
    1. Zhu January 25, 2012 at 1:22 am

      Yep, it was bad!

      Reply

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