Rent a Four-wheel Drive when in Belize

For once, I took the advice of a travel guidebook and rented a four-wheel drive vehicle when I planned to tour the Belize interior. It was a last minute decision, I had originally planned to walk to the main road from the airport and use the country's public transportation system. I was on vacation; there was no rush. I could just get there when I got there, I thought, about all of the places I planned to visit throughout the country. It's a small country, no worries.

Well, the flight must have tired me because when I looked toward the main road and saw only open space, I decided a car may be best after all. I rented a small Suzuki four-wheel drive truck. The rental car agent said, "you'll be sorry, when I looked at the tiny economy cars." By the end of that first day I was grateful to the book and the man.

Near Guatemala, I found a campground just before dark. I settled in to the lounge area talking and snacking with the owner and several other guests. By the time I felt like setting up my tent and calling it a night, it was full dark, and dark in that part of the world meant dark. The man in charge said, "go pull around up the hill; I will meet you on top and show you the campsite." Fantastic. Well, I was used to driving trucks but not in a strange place in the dark. I rambled up the hill, felt a little softness under my tires and stepped on the gas harder. At the same time I came to an abrupt stop, I heard my new friend yelling out and saw him flailing his arms in the air. My sturdy car was sunk and good.

"Didn't you see me, didn't you hear me?" He said, obviously irritated.

"I see you now," I said meekly.

"We've had some rain, it's pretty muddy over there; I tried to direct you to the left."

"Get your pack, leave the car, and follow me," he grumbled.

We walked about 100 yards to my home for the night. I was glad the moonlight showed through the trees so I could set up my tent, I wouldn't be using my headlights like I had planned. That night on the way to the bathroom, I met up with the night care-taker. He took me for a walk with his flashlight trained on lots of interesting wildlife. There were many tarantulas roaming the ground, which did not make me too happy.

Early the next morning, I saw how far my tires had sunk into the mud. Good thing I had this four-wheel drive, I flung my bag in and to ready to head back east toward the zoo. I did not know what I was doing, so I strained my eyes to read the instructions for the four-wheel drive mechanism. Nope, it wasn't happening. It was rubbed out and I pretending to myself that I could figure it out.

Beaten, I knew I would have to go find my friend and ask for his help. I found him eating breakfast, he was in better mood this morning; he gave me some toast and eggs and offered his help. It didn't take him any time to release the car from the muck. He let me take a picture of him and his dog and sent me on my way.

The roads were sometimes questionable, but my off-roading is what got me in trouble. Just in case, rent a four-wheel drive in Belize.