Last Updated on April 10, 2025 by Ellen
This is our last full day at the Happy House just north of Corozal. We leave very early tomorrow morning to take the bus to Orange Walk, then Belpoman, and on into Guatemala. It’s all on the same bus, if we make it.
Getting to the Corozal bus station in town from the Happy House can be tricky very early in the morning. Shared taxi vans do not run, and there are few, if any, taxis on the road at 3:00 a.m. We’ve arranged for a local taxi driver to pick us up, and as long as he shows up, which I think he likely will, then we should make it.
The buses here are all old school buses from the U.S. Some have more upgrades than others. Hopefully the bus we take will have newer padded seating, because the trip is likely to last about six hours.
Buses are the most common mode of transportation on mainland Belize, as in most of the third world. (The buses in Panama are an entirely separate blog entry one day.)
There are no official websites with bus times in Belize, like there are in Mexico. The best way to know the schedule is to go to the bus station you will be leaving from and look at the posted times.
Note, the full schedule is not always posted. Here in Corozal, times for the Sunday buses were not clearly displayed as a separate column, so we talked with the station manager, who was very helpful and recommended the early bus. Otherwise, the journey could take much, much longer because we’d have to go through Belize City and change buses.
But, if we end up on the longer route, that’ll be fine. It’ll be meant to be, and I’ll just enjoy the ride.
Our time at the Happy House quickly passed. It’s amazing how fast time goes when you love your life.
I feel like I’ve mostly recovered from whatever mosquito virus got me while I was living alone in Tulum. My husband joined me in Mexico at the end of my second week of the illness. After convalescing a month in Mexico, we came to Belize and I continued to get stronger and healthier through proper eating, mild exercise and plenty of rest with not too much stress.
The Happy House was a perfect place to rest and relax and recharge for all of the trips we have coming up in the next month.
If you find yourself this way, I’d recommend the Happy House for people staying an extended time in northern Belize who are open-minded and prepared to “go slow.” (Someone told us that phrase is the unofficial phrase of Belize.)
Read my prior full review of the Happy House here.
Our main goal in the next week is to visit Tikal, the Mayan ruins. We’ve seen most ruins in this region of the world, and Tikal is the tallest. Back around 2007, we took a 10 day vacation and drove the “ruins trail” in southern Mexico, but never crossed the border. Now we have the time!
After several days, we’ll return to San Ignacio, Belize, to check out that town and the area along the border with Guatemala.
From there, we will be exploring Caye Caulker and Ambergris Caye. The islands will cost more than we usually spend, so we’re only staying a few days, not renting a house or apartment. We have to see it that area while we are in the region.
Then we’re heading back to Mexico for more relaxation and exploration around Mahahual. We haven’t been to that little town in about 11 or 12 years.
This journey is a learning experience. We’re not perfect, and life’s not perfect, but it sure is exciting! I’m looking forward to the journey we are on every day. Every. Dang. Day.