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Dear Friends,

We are a retired American couple. We have been living in Yucatan for almost two years, but we do not meet the criteria to obtain the Mexican Legal Residency because we don't meet the legal minimum amount of funds required to apply for the residency ($3000 per month) as only one of us is retired, and we have already distributed all of our belongings to our children. My wife goes to the States often to see the kids and grandkids, but I usually stay here with our two dogs. So, the last time we came from the States was in early November, which means I had to leave Mexico before the beginning of May 2015. Since my wife is traveling to the States next week, I decided to venture and go to Belize today to get a new Tourist Card for 180 days, before the old one expired. I had heard from several sources that it was an easy and painless process... well... IT IS NOT! I had one of the worst experiences of my life during my trip, so bad that I swear I will never again set foot in Belize in my life!

I had read that you buy your ADO ticket in Merida to Corozal or Belize City, and once in Belize you can walk around the city and in the afternoon buy the return ticket (for an 8:30 pm return to Merida) and that was that. FALSE! First of all, the bus from Merida to Corozal allegedly broke down. There were only a few of us on the bus -- a German couple, a girl from Argentina, a young guy from Texas, a young newlywed Mexican couple and me -- So, they told us they would put us on a bus to Chetumal (instead of the original Corozal destination) and then they would find the way to drive us to Corozal from Chetumal. What could we say at this point? We were already there, so all of us agreed to the change in plans and boarded the bus at 11:00 p.m.

We arrived to Chetumal and then were transported to Corozal, and as we exited Mexico the Immigration Officer took our visas (the small Tourist Card you get when you enter through the airport) and then we went over to the Belizian side. Once there the Belizian Immigration Officer asked EVERYONE for a PAPER CONFIRMATION OF THEIR HOTEL RESERVATIONS IN BELIZE. None of us had it... we were all there for the same reason and the same purpose. The only ones who had hotel reservations were the Mexican newlyweds, however, they had the hotel confirmation ON THEIR CELL PHONES, VIRTUALLY, and the Belizian Officer did not want to accept that. So he told them that in order for them to be able to enter the country they had to purchase a ticket to visit one of the Belizian islands or something. The young couple elected to do so and purchased a ticket to go to San Pedro. That allowed them to actually go into Corozal.  The rest of us, without exception, WERE NOT ALLOWED TO ENTER COROZAL. In fact, we had to stay in the Casino without the possibility to return to Mexico unless we made a hotel reservation and stayed in Corozal for at least a night and actually show the hotel bill when you exited Belize!

I immediately called my wife to give her the news that it was not an easy process, and that I was basically stuck in Belize without the possibility to come back into Mexico because (1) I needed to have proof that I had stayed at a hotel, or visited one of their islands, or actually done something while visiting Belize. In other words, they are forcing you to spend your money in Corozal, whether you want to or not, and (2) in order to exit Belize and upon showing PROOF of what you did in the country, they they stamp your passport with the required "stamps". Then and only then, you can cross over to Mexico. Of course I had the capability of staying their the night, but I didn't want to! There is nothing to do in Corozal! So, while I was talking to my wife on my cell phone, I was approached by a taxi driver who offered to get me all the required "stamps" and whatnot's for the "low sum of $1800 Mexican Pesos" (about $150 US Dollars!) At that point I was already desperate, and my wife was on the phone thinking that I am there alone, already without any status cause I already do not have the Mexican Visa which was removed when I officially exited Mexico, so I'm basically in "limbo" - not a good feeling! So, my wife goes, "you're going to have to pray to God he gets it for you, go with him, pay him and go back to Chetumal." And that's just what I had to do. So, I gave the guy my US Passport, $1800 MXPesos and he said "wait here"... I prayed to God he would come through for me, and so did my wife. A few minutes later, he returned with the required documentation and all the stamps required so I could move on and return to Mexico. For an additional $200 MXPesos he took me back to Chetumal, I then showed my passport, requested another 180 days in Mexico, and I was in Mexico again, where I finally exhaled a big sigh of relief! Ah! And I heard that "I got lucky!" because they could have asked for much more in Belize, and also the new thing is that when you're going to cross over to Mexico, the Mexican Immigration Officers are not giving you the maximum 180 days because that way they force you to have to go to Immigration in Merida or wherever your final destination is in Mexico, so you can apply for an extension to your Tourist Card/Visa, which of course, will cost you a few more hundred pesos.

So, as you can appreciate by my story... it is not BY FAR, an easy process.  My recommendation is that if you are going to have to go to Belize, that you actually RESERVE AND HAVE A PAPER COPY OF THE HOTEL RESERVATION, which must be for a day or two. Otherwise, you're sure to encounter the same unpleasant experience I encountered. And I must say, that the Belizian authorities are not nice at all, in fact they were quite rude. That is why I told my wife, and I will tell anyone who wants to hear it, that this was MY FIRST AND ONLY VISIT EVER TO BELIZE. I believe in having the freedom to do what you want to do, even if it means you don't want to sleep there for the night... you should have the option to visit the museums, the beaches, etc. and return to Mexico at the end of the day. I don't understand why THEY FORCE YOU to sleep there the night; I don't think this practice is fair or just. So, needless to say, THIS WAS MY DEBUT AND FAREWELL TO BELIZE!