Chetumal: Encounters with Pirates

Chetumal is the border city between Mexico and Belize. It is modern and clean and the streets are wide and well-planned, apparently the result of being rebuilt after hurricanes in the 50s. This city has a wonderful history, actually being occupied by pirates and revolutionaries at different times in the past. It is set on a pretty bay, and you can see Belize from the beach. The Museum of Mayan Culture was the best sight of the visit. It is small, but world-class in presentation and information. It is a good idea to change pesos to US dollars if you are moving on to Belize. There are many large banks off Av Heroes.

Quick Tips:

The bus depot is situated at the edge of town next to the large supermarket named after Saint Francis of Assisi. Av Heroes is the best area for shopping and hotels. The Museum is on Heroes as is a large public market and the tourist information kiosk. We found the restaurants clean and pleasant, especially for breakfast. The patios are attractively decorated with lanterns in the evenings.

Best Way To Get Around:

Beware of the taxi drivers. You can tell there is pirate blood burning in their veins. They are argumentative, surley and quick to take all your money for a short trip...and forget about getting help with the luggage. We walked a lot. I liked the open streets, and the bookstores and the monuments.

Gorilla cages have better decor and fewer critters. The room we were shown to was on ground level. It had a metal door and metal walls like the shelving in a warehouse. The beds were iron and looked clean enough, but the overall impression was that the keeper was about to hose us down and toss in a handful of over-ripe bananas. The friendliest elements had several legs and antennae and ran out to greet us the moment we hit the light switch. We ran, tossing the keys at the concierge as we went, crying "NO!"

This is where we fled to from Ucum. Classic Holiday Inn: air conditioning, coffee pot in room, lots of towels. The Hotel is situated right across the street from the public market and the Museum. There are several quite nice restaurants/cafes to choose from, and the public areas are beautifully decorated in a Mayan theme. The rooms have double beds and a large bathroom. TV and air-conditioning are welcome additions. Despite being a fan of Mexico's charming small budget hotels, I enjoyed all the comforts of the Holiday Inn.

This is such a nice little hotel! The rooms are large and bright and quiet. The jacuzzi in the room was loud but comforting to bus-bumped muscles. The oddest thing was the sky light over the toilet. There I was, perched on the throne with a pen in my teeth and maps and journal balanced on my knees, when this light enveloped me. Sun came out from behind clouds up there, whatever....felt like a blessing on the journey. Love this place! The bed is queen-sized and consists of a mattress placed on a stuccoed platform. Overhead, the ceiling is sculpted into a sunburst, painted bright blues and reds. We asked for a less-expensive room. They were booked, but we were offered an upgrade at no extra cost. The counter clerk was friendly and very helpful about directions to places to visit. I would book this hotel in advance next time.

This is a beautifully presented museum. Some displays are inter-active. The Sacred Ceiba Tree actually goes up 3 stories.

It's very close to the local market and all of the major hotels, including the highly-touted, much despised Hotel Ucum.

We travelled thru Chetumal twice, on the way to and from Belize.

Originally, it was a place we had planned on visiting and we planned to stay 3 days. We left the next afternoon on the way down and as soon as possible the next morning on the way back.

We had a lot of mileage under us when we arrived. We had seen Cancun, Merida, Chichen Itza, Playa, Cozumel, and Tulum. We had been spoiled, no doubt about it. The Yucatan is so welcoming and pleasant and the shop-keepers and waiters sell their country well.

Visually, Chetumal is not unattractive. The wide streets and large monuments and imposing government buildings give it that "Russian" air. We began to call it the Moscow of the Maya. It seemed sterile compared to the clutter and wild traffic of Merida, and cold after the gentle beach culture of Playa.

There is a kiosk dedicated to tourists. It had one ragged map available. We asked if we could take it and make several copies of it for them if we could have one, but were turned down. The young woman was charming and looked up the directions to the bus depot for us.

In the evening, there are a lot of people on the streets downtown, but the town is empty and closed between 4 and 7 pm and after 930 week nights.

And then there were the pirates.....the taxi drivers who rule this city. We started a revolt at the bus station when we were coming back from Belize. We were quoted a price that was out of line with what we had been paying there the week before. When we declined to pay that price, we were informed that we had too much luggage (one pack each and a handbag). When I said that no one had ever offered to handle our luggage in Chetumal, that we had always been expected to manage our own bags, the driver freaked out. He jumped out of the cab and called a sit down strike of the other cabbies in the queue and pointed and hollered about evil gringas. We were in no rush and there were no other customers, so we sat on our packs and watched this energetic display of machismo until a gentleman from the back of the line came up and offered to carry our bags to his cab. We paid him double what he asked and he actually assisted me back into my pack.

We had been spoiled, especially in Belize, where taxi drivers and bus conductors are wonderfully helpful and kind. They are supermen who carry on small children and large, unwieldy packages and assist old ladies on and off the steep steps and always smile. That will definitely color your vision.

We met other tourists who were in a hurry to leave as well.

It's a shame, because the city is clean and safe and the area around it is so beautiful.