Day 22 - The journey ends!

Got up early, went back to the truck yard and retrieved our trucks, and headed to the border. I had to wait to connect with my broker’s man, because I had had to make a 4000 pesos ($285) deposit before entering Mexico, and he was to refund it to me. He did. I was topped by Mexican customs, and had to wait for an official to come look at my load to see if matched the manifest that the broker had prepared for me to enter Mexico. They want to be sure as a ‘transmigrante” you don’t sell or leave behind what you have taken into Mexico duty free. (I suppose I could have sold the TV!) Finally got through Mexican customs, crossed the bridge into Belize and stopped to buy Belize auto insurance. Continued on past the Princess Hotel/Casino and the free trade zone to the cargo entrance and the agricultural spray man. That had happened in Mexico as well – they spray the lower and underside of your vehicle for insects. Then to the parking booth attendant – trucks entering and waiting for their loads to be inspected have to pay a parking fee. I had turned off the engine while I did the transaction. Got back in the truck, and it didn’t start. I was blocking trucks wanting to enter, and blocking trucks that had dropped trailers, and wanted to exit.
Seemed like a battery connection issue, so I got out my bag of tools, cleaned the battery connections and was back in business. Proceeded to the parking lot and connected with my Belize broker. He went and saw an official. Then I showed the list, including the truck, trailer and boat, and contents therein to another official. He assigned a total value, for which I would pay 32% duty. Then he took me to see another official in the building up the hill by the tourist entrance. I passed through the immigration folks, entering as a tourist. Went upstairs to see another official, and appealed the decision of the first official. The truck is not worth the blue book value, the right rear fender is bent in and the bumper is bent up as a result of the tire falling off. He adjusted the value down. I thanked him, went back to the cargo entrance building, and took some stuff out of the truck so it could be inspected/verified, and waited for an official to come take a look. And waited. And waited. Eventually she came, took a quick look and I loaded the stuff back in the truck and waited. And waited. While the broker did his job. Finally got a final number, which, including assorted fees, including the brokers, and an “inspection” fee, which came to a total of $4100 BZD, which is $2050 USD. Had to be paid in BZD. I did not have that much with me, can they take a check? Customs couldn’t, but my broker knew an Indian (Asian) in Corozal, the nearby Belizian town, who could, so off we went. I wrote him a blank check for $2050, and he gave me $4100. Went back to the cargo customs center, and the broker paid who needed to be paid for whatever reason. (Take liberties to read between the lines here.)
Meanwhile, I went to the chainlink fence outside the customs building, and traded through the fence my extra pesos for BZD. It was at the going exchange rate, so I’m not sure how the several vendors there make money.
By then the broker had done his part, it was 1:30 PM, and I was on the road! Soon after, I took a wrong turn in Libertad, but soon found my way back to the proper route, and was on my way. Passed big sugar cane fields, and a sugar plant spewing great quantities of black smoke that seemed incongruous. Passed big orange groves in bloom, and smelling wonderful. The road through the mountains south of Belmopan is quite beautiful, an appreciation hampered only by my dwindling fuel supply. I stopped opposite the gate at an orange processing plant, and a worker told me (in English!) that the next gas was 6 miles further. I was home free! Gassed up, and by this time it was getting dark, but I continued on my way, because I knew the roads.
Although the last 23 miles to Placencia are dirt, they are working on it, and it isn’t at its worst. So with a slightly better surface, and a high level of impatience for the journey to end, I traveled at about 20 MPH down the dusty road, having to stop when the 4 or 5 vehicles approaching me passed, to allow the dust to settle enough to be able to see where I was going. Arrived in the dooryard, 4272 miles from the start, at about 9 PM, and daughter-in-law Rilda had a fine dinner of local fish ready for me. I was home!