I have lived in Mexico for the past year and a half and have just moved to Guatemala. During my time here I have driven my Mexican plated car across Mexico three times, across Belize once, and Guatemala twice.
Depending on the area you can either go a whole day driving without being stopped or be pulled over ten times in an afternoon.
Paying bribes has mostly been for things I have done wrong: no seatbelt, no insurance (Belize), not having my license on me etc...
When I first moved to Central America I hated the idea of paying bribes. I hated the idea of such obvious corruption. Now, if I'm in the wrong, I welcome having the ability to pay a small amount of money to avoid what would be a certain large fine and possibly having my car towed and impounded in my own country (Canada)
I have had yelling matches with Mexican border guards at the Belizean border demand an exit fee which doesn't exist and take my passport, threatening to not return it if I don't pay. The majority of tourists that cross the border just pay the $20 without questioning it.
I've had an M16 shoved into my body and surrounded by a group of cartel members with threats of cutting out my tongue. (Which turned out to be their way of playing a joke to scare me, before cooking my girlfriend and I dinner and getting us drunk, sitting around on a beach at night while they balanced automatic rifles on their laps.
I've spent an hour on the side of a desolate highway at 2 in the morning in Belize, smoking cigarettes and working out a bribe with drunk police who pulled us over for not having insurance in their country (we crossed over the border at 8 at night and their insurance office at the border closed at 7 and we tried to make it across the country overnight). We ended up talking them down from $400usd to $20 to hire their services for a police escort to Orange Walk, and helping us find a hotel to stay in until we could purchase insurance in the morning.
The majority of people visiting these countries will never have a negative experience. If you decide to spend any time living in one of these countries like John, then you will most likely, eventually, run into some sketchy situations.
My guess, and I could be wrong, is that during your limited time (1 month split between three countries) down here, you most likely traveled by bus with a bunch of other tourists, to places frequented by tourists.
I've spent a year and a half in Mexico and currently live in Guatemala and have driven across Mexico and Belize in my own vehicle a number of times and have paid many bribes.
Your version of Belize might be warm and welcoming, but how close is your version to reality? How much time did you spend there? Did you ever drive your own vehicle and have to deal with road side inspection points, or was that handled by the bus driver?
Your right, I was on public transport. Actually I went to hire a jeep but had forgot my drivers licence back in the UK, given your comments I'm probably lucky I didn't!
Depending on the area you can either go a whole day driving without being stopped or be pulled over ten times in an afternoon.
Paying bribes has mostly been for things I have done wrong: no seatbelt, no insurance (Belize), not having my license on me etc...
When I first moved to Central America I hated the idea of paying bribes. I hated the idea of such obvious corruption. Now, if I'm in the wrong, I welcome having the ability to pay a small amount of money to avoid what would be a certain large fine and possibly having my car towed and impounded in my own country (Canada)
I have had yelling matches with Mexican border guards at the Belizean border demand an exit fee which doesn't exist and take my passport, threatening to not return it if I don't pay. The majority of tourists that cross the border just pay the $20 without questioning it.
I've had an M16 shoved into my body and surrounded by a group of cartel members with threats of cutting out my tongue. (Which turned out to be their way of playing a joke to scare me, before cooking my girlfriend and I dinner and getting us drunk, sitting around on a beach at night while they balanced automatic rifles on their laps.
I've spent an hour on the side of a desolate highway at 2 in the morning in Belize, smoking cigarettes and working out a bribe with drunk police who pulled us over for not having insurance in their country (we crossed over the border at 8 at night and their insurance office at the border closed at 7 and we tried to make it across the country overnight). We ended up talking them down from $400usd to $20 to hire their services for a police escort to Orange Walk, and helping us find a hotel to stay in until we could purchase insurance in the morning.
The majority of people visiting these countries will never have a negative experience. If you decide to spend any time living in one of these countries like John, then you will most likely, eventually, run into some sketchy situations.