On the bus from Belize City to Dangriga, I was really hitting my travel groove. I was relaxed and happy to be back on the road, and I started listing in my mind things I had missed about travel outside of America. I missed chaotic open markets that smell like food. There's something inherently wrong with a market where the spice aisle has the same neutral smell as the cheese aisle, and nobody has to shout to be heard. I missed stopping at a bus station and having people trying to sell things to the passengers by sticking their merchandise through the window.
Nothing hits the spot on a long bus ride like a couple of tamales stuck through the window.
I missed hanging out with a group of people on a porch at night, entertaining ourselves by watching the town drunk salute passing cars, and speculating on the activities of two dogs across the street. And some things I hadn't missed. Cramped busses and getting hustled Anyway, back to Dangriga. I found out from the owner of my hotel there was indeed a boat the next day, and I just had to show up at 730am with my passport in hand. The next day I was off, along with twelve other gringos, bouncing across choppy seas in a open wooden boat that had two big motors, and was only about twenty feet long.