Our first impressions and buying a car after arriving in Belize for a house sitting gig.

As soon as you step out of the airplane and onto the tarmac in Belize City you will know that you are in a tropical country. If you arrive in January like we did, then it’s not so much the wet heat, but the smells and sounds that get you.

After planning for months and getting ready for Belize we finally arrived in Belize City. We had spent a whole day traveling by bus (look for our bus travel experience in a later article). Then we flew from North Carolina to Dallas/Fort Worth and from there to Belize City, let me tell you, we were exhausted.

Luckily the couple that owns the small resort we will be house sitting for the next couple of months picked us up from the airport. Sue and Chris are an older couple from Britain, we got along splendidly right from the start. Thank you Sue, it’s always nice to be received with a warm hug after dealing with the immigration and customs people.

Our first impression of Belize City was “Really? We’ll be spending our unforeseeable future here? Oh my!”

Sue seemed to have been reading our minds. She explained that Belize City isn’t a very good representation for the country, and it’s a shame that the cruise ships land here, giving Belize an unfair representation. The streets are horrible to drive on with many small potholes, plus the one that was almost big enough to swallow a car. The sides of the roads are littered with garbage and everything looks very unkempt. We were even advised not to go down town Belize City after dark.

Our First Night In Belize

Sue arranged for all of us to stay at the D’Nest Inn, a nice little B & B on a very bumpy dead end street. I don’t think we would have been able to find this place by ourselves.

After meeting the proprietors of the B & B, Gaby and Oti, friends of Sue and Chris’, we were shown to our room. We were pleasantly surprised with this lovely blue walled room, containing a king sized bed, a seating area, large windows in two directions, and best of all, a clean bathroom and free wifi.

Our room – the Dove Nest

Our second day in Belize was spent looking for a 4 wheel drive vehicle. Since we are always on a budget we knew we couldn’t just go out and pick up a brand-new 4 x 4 truck. So Chris, Nick and I went looking for a budget-friendly, used car dealer in Belize City.

Chris and Silke in the used car lot

Where we are going to be staying for the next couple of months, in the Southern part of Belize, a four wheel drive vehicle is a must have in order to get around during the rainy season. Lucky for us Chris knows a guy, Roger, that has helped other foreigners find, purchase and license used cars in Belize City. After a huge breakfast of local fruits, eggs, bacon and toast we headed out.

A taxi driver with connections in Belize City.

We were able to find and buy a KIA Sport 4 x 4 in perfect driving condition, and within our price range, the first hour we were looking. Roger was very courteous and honest. If you require his ‘Prime Time Services’ in Belize City, give him a call at 501-660-4304.

Getting our new vehicle insured and licensed in our name took a little longer, but wasn’t really a big deal. One just has to know where to go, so having a local guide really helped us a lot. After a great lunch of stewed chicken, rice and beans we finally got the job done. We paid Roger for his service and headed back to the B & B for some well needed rest.

Everyone we have met here in Belize City so far has been very friendly and accommodating.

There is quite a bit of road construction going on right now, so maybe the driving conditions will be a little better in the future. The weather has been gorgeous since we landed and all the food we have had so far was delicious and very affordable.

We will be heading out of Belize City tomorrow, in our newly purchased vehicle and head south to our final destination. The little Eco resort we will be house sitting is located just off the Monkey River in the Toledo district of Belize. Visit our ‘Fun in Belize‘ page for related articles.

Have you purchase a car in Belize or another foreign country? Share your experience below.