From Corozal, Belize Back to Merida, Mexico (Day 5, 12/29, Friday)

We got up around 7am - early enough to make it back to Merida late in the afternoon - and headed for the border-crossing point. A few miles away from the border, we were stopped by a soldier at a checkpoint. He kept asking us for our paperwork on car insurance after we showed him the proper papers we have for the car. The tension was escalating as we talked through the window. This guy was obviously trying to scare us into bribing him. We were not going to let him have his will. Finally, he let us pass after we firmly told him many times that we have the exact papers that he was asking for. What a pain having to deal with the whims of these border patrols!

At the border-crossing point, we went through the whole process again - a stamp at one counter, then another at a different counter. We then drove to the Free Zone hoping that we would find the kind of cooking ring that R was talking about and Punta Rock CDs that Denis recommended. We were told that the Free Zone is duty free and has a wide selection of commodities. Maybe we were there too early (8:30am); the whole place looked like a flea market full of crappy stuff. Rows of concrete box-like stores lie randomly and listlessly under the scorching sun. Loud speakers as tall as me were blasting cacophonous Latino pop music. There were people waiting outside of storefronts that were not open yet. I checked out a few stores and didn't see anything worthy of buying. We fled quickly from the "Flea Zone."

Leaving the Free Zone and all the English signs behind, we drove to the other side of the border - Mexico. We stopped at Bacalar and did a quick drive-through: there is a beautiful park right next a lagoon and an old Mayan fort. The rest of the drive from Chetumal to Merida was quick and easy. This time, we avoided the small villages and stayed on the expressway all the way to Merida. It took only about 4.5 hours. We got back around 3pm when comida dishes were still warm on the table.

The rest of the day was spent on sharing our road stories with the fam, eating and resting.