{"id":152169,"date":"2017-06-19T09:04:08","date_gmt":"2017-06-19T09:04:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/?p=152169"},"modified":"2017-06-19T09:04:08","modified_gmt":"2017-06-19T09:04:08","slug":"travelling-world-hera-van-willick-infamous-northern-triangle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.welovecycling.com\/wide\/2017\/06\/19\/travelling-world-hera-van-willick-infamous-northern-triangle\/","title":{"rendered":"Travelling the World with Hera van Willick: The Infamous Northern Triangle"},"content":{"rendered":"

Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras. Countries that would let many father- and mother heart shake with anxiety at the thought of their child traveling through \u2019em. Countries that are famous for their high murder rate, their drugs trafficking and gangs. The hearts of my parents shook too when I told them I would ride my bicycle through those countries. And they still do.<\/strong>
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The numbers are serious, as are the news items in the media. El Salvador only recently had its first day without homicide in two years\u2019 time. Indeed, they are serious, but they also give a very colored view of those countries. Murders, drugs and gangs; that\u2019s the song the media likes to sing.<\/p>\n

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\n Urban cycling<\/a>\n <\/div>\n
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Bicycle Architecture Biennale in Amsterdam Is Showing Us the Future<\/span><\/h3>\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/article>\n<\/div>\n

Belize on the other hand is known to be a tourist destination. Even though I also received an article from someone with the alarming statement that it\u2019s the \u2018country with the highest number of unsolved murders that is not in a war.\u2019 From Flores in Guatemala I cycled towards the Belizean border. Customs were quick and painless and I picked up a free tourist map of the country. Funny how a map with drawn pictures of waterfalls, caves, trees and hammocks instantly makes the country look more safe. That must be the association with a map of Disneyland. On paper it looked like the average tourist destination where you can roam around free and safe.<\/p>\n

Belize has the \u2018Belize dollar\u2019 as their currency, but also uses the American dollar. 2 \u2018Belize\u2019 is 1 \u2018U.S.\u2019, always. They\u2019re used mixed. Different from the surrounding countries the people of Belize have English as their main language.
\nI rode up the Hummingbird Highway, supposedly the \u2018most scenic road of Belize\u2019. \u2018Nice enough\u2019 I\u2019d say, but not all that special. That it indeed was the \u2018most scenic road of Belize\u2019 I only realized over the next days when I was riding long straight stretches through a monotonous landscape.<\/p>\n

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For days I\u2019d been looking forward to drink some coconut water. But every time I spotted coconuts sold on the side of the road I didn\u2019t feel like it was time for a break. Thirsty for a coconut I asked a motorcyclists where I could find some. \u2018You can ask here\u2019 he told me and pointed at the little house just behind the bush next to the road. I walked up the muddy property. \u2018Hellooooo? Helloohoooooo.\u2019 A young guy appeared and I asked him if he was selling coconuts. He had to check that with this mum. He soon returned with his brother, who just walked up one of the slightly bended trees using his hand and feet like a monkey. He cut loose two big coconuts and back on the ground opened them for me. There I sat on a trunk with two enormous coconuts to enjoy. Their mother came out and explained me that they do sell coconuts but per truckload, not on the side of the road. They had a huge property that stretched out for 8 miles behind the house into the jungle. Far too big, she told me. Thousands of coconuts, still they lived in a tiny hut on the black soil. When I was ready to leave they didn\u2019t want me to pay anything for the coconuts. She said to me \u2018Most people here when they see a white person they only think about one thing\u2026 and you know what that is\u2026\u2019.<\/p>\n

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\"travelling-world-hera-van-willick-whats-like-holiday-every-day\"\/<\/a><\/div>
\n #Ride2Unite<\/a>\n <\/div>\n
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Travelling the World with Hera van Willick: What’s It Like to Be on Holiday Every Day?<\/span><\/h3>\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/article>\n<\/div>\n

Belize has more of a \u2018tourist vibe\u2019 then the other Latin American countries and white people are more regularly considered as a walking wallet. And not just that, as a white woman you are considered a \u2018free for all\u2019 by many men. Without a man on your side (and sometimes even with) you\u2019re degraded to a prey animal, resulting in whistling, getting yelled after, nasty comments and even touching. YEG! During the week I spend in Belize that quickly made me burn with anger. It\u2019s hard to put men in their place when they are not crossing any clear boundaries. Cause what do you do when you\u2019re riding your bike and are being whistled after for the hundredth time or yelled after with \u2018Hey baby!\u2019. Sometimes I just want to give \u2019em the finger without even turning my head, but it feels like too strong a response. Also, I don\u2019t want to let them drag me into that negative atmosphere.<\/p>\n