Our Immigration stamps expire today so we take the local Richie's bus to Dangriga, the next largest village North of Placencia on the peninsula. Why Dangriga when we could check out in Placencia (Port Captain) / Independence (Customs & Immigration)? Two reasons: first, we've not been there and as it's the primary Garifuna settlement in Belize, it would be nice to see it plus the country-side between the two villages; second, while the government has a regional finance sub-office for Immigration, it does not have one for the port authority, nor a Port Captain so those fees are collected differently or not at all, but you can still check-in and check-out there.

Richie's bus service is standard LatAm former USA school bus repainted sky blue with lavender window trim. However unlike many places we've visited, the bus runs only a few times each day, and music is not blaring. In fact, no music at all plays on our trips. We choose the 7am departure from Placencia because the next one is a 12:30pm departure and we've learned that it is best to conclude official business prior to local lunchtime. The 7am scheduled departure turns out to be a 7:30am one. The bus fills with locals and us visitors, most visitors looking like they're going to Belize City with all of their luggage. The ride to the bus terminal in Dangriga is slightly more than 1-1/2 hours.

The journey is via a narrow highway with no shoulder and only speed bumps and pedestrian ramps and on / off passengers to slow progress. We pass several resorts and plots of land looking very much like someone would like to fill them up with sold vacation homes, then a small settlement, and another. After that the peninsula is wide enough to support farming - bananas and citrus orchards - and a cattle ranch or two. In between, sparse forests of pine and palm, with other trees and scrubs; all trunks thin-limbed. The land is pretty flat, the road curvy in sections. No dramatic mountains or water views.

As an update to the Rauscher and Calder guides: All check-in / out offices are now in a single building located across the first bridge and 3-4 blocks towards town from the bus terminal. It's a single-story white concrete building on the left side of the street.



Immigration is the last door. We went there first. In a similar process we experienced at San Pedro, the Immigration officer checks the passports and gives us a piece of paper with the amount owed, you go to the Finance office, the first door in this building (curiously these offices are at the opposite ends of the building, just as in San Pedro). The fee is paid is Belize Dollars only (this time we were prepared for that requirement); with that officially stamped receipt return to the Immigration officer to have the passports stamped. The receipt lists the B$65 charged as the departure fee for both of us. We also pay B$7.50 per person for a PACT conservation departure fee. This is paid directly to the Immigration officer in exact amount B$. Last stop, Customs, located in the Lands & Surveys Department office. The Customs officer asked us questions about why we were not checking-out in Punta Gorda, where we'd checked in, nor San Pedro since our next port of call is Puerto Juarez, Mx (why there? we've read they have the CIS streamlined check-in offices). He asked us where we were "docked" and we said near Placencia so he could have asked us about that as well, but in the end he said it would be B$50 for him to check us out and we agreed to pay. (This is the same as one of our friends paid last week.) So he processes the required paperwork with a check-out date of tomorrow, giving us an additional day to depart which is quite nice of him, & Jerry gives him the B$50 bill. Check-out done. We avoided the B$10 (later we were told it dropped to B$5) per day fee the Punta Gorda port authority told us we should have to pay at check-out after our initial 30 days cruising permit expired. Only 10am; we can make the 11am return Richie's bus if our shopping and eating (we're starved...!) is quick. Otherwise it's the 2pm return bus.

The main part of Dangriga appears to be on the other side of a second bridge walking away from the bus terminal and that's the way we go. We stop in at one of the larger (size being relative...) grocery stores, then another, to see if they stock items I need at good prices, but there is only the basics. Nothing worth carrying all the way back to the bus. We see several closed restaurants so keep walking until we find one open and filled with people; locals and visitors. I didn't catch the name, the ubiquitous Belikin brand sign outside only says "family restaurant" in small letters at the bottom. The food is good, decent; service as well. We were out walking toward the bus at 20 min to 11am.

We decide on words to describe Dangriga and its residents: shabby, nondescript, tired, friendly.

Back in Placencia, we pick up groceries, relax with an afternoon nap (it was an early 5am alarm!) and then Jerry takes me out for a nice birthday dinner at Rumfish and a shared small ice cream - sour cherry & cream / dark chocolate combo - at Tutti Fruitti. Life is good!

Tomorrow will be our last official day in Belize but there's a strong cold front to arrive Wednesday / Thursday so we'll wait that out before departing. As long as we don't go ashore after tomorrow there should be no issue.