Before we got on the Chicken Bus in Belize, we had to catch one of the quick local flights between Ambergris Caye] and the mainland. Never mind “puddle jumper” commuter planes; these were almost down to the scale of the bush plane I took to see [Mount McKinley in Alaska.
The contrast of the airport was one of my favorites: there’s nothing like boarding on a jetway and deboarding by stairway to remind you that you’re a bit off the beaten path. The island terminal is just a few buildings with open-air waiting areas; the baggage claim area is a spot in the grass where they park hand-wheeled carts piled with bags.
The local airport security had picked up on the TSA’s shoe fetish, but didn’t seem too concerned with baggies of 3 ounce containers. After climbing, almost literly, over the seats to your own sheep-fur-covered spot, it was simply time to go. No safety lecture, no shutting off your electronics, not even an admonition not to reach out and grab the controls that were in arm’s reach, certainly no queue on the taxiway - just a quick shoot down the runway.
The flight was only about 20 minutes, and at only 200 feet provided some nice views and photos in the daylight. Approaching Corozal, I tried to reconcile the guidebook’s description of it being a regional economic center with the limited sprawl of two-story buildings. Then we lined up with the runway; more of a paved strip in the grass. It was a smooth landing, but it still felt good to be out of the small plane and back on solid ground.
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