COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED FOR PEACE CORPS TDY

UNCLAS BRIDGETOWN 000208

SIPDIS

TOPEC

SIPDIS

BRIDGETOWN PASS TO PEACE CORPS ST. LUCIA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ASEC OTRA BB ST XL
SUBJECT: COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED FOR PEACE CORPS TDY
JUDITH KERR TO TRANSIT BARBADOS TO ST. LUCIA

REF: KINGSTON 00189


1. Embassy Bridgetown warmly welcomes and grants
country clearance to Peace Corps TDY Judith Kerr to
transit Barbados to St. Lucia from February 2 - 17,

2006. The purpose is to assist with administrative
matters during the period in the absence of post's
Administrative Officer.


2. Post understands that Peace Corps Eastern Caribbean
based in St. Lucia will arrange for Ms. Kerr's
transportation and lodging.


3. Ms. Kerr is expected to arrive in Castries, St.
Lucia on Thursday, February 2, 2006 via Barbados on LI
0368 at 8:05pm. She will depart on Friday, February
17, 2006 on LI 0381 at 6:25am.



4. Entry requirements: A valid U.S. passport is
required to enter Barbados and St. Lucia. No visa is
required if your stay is under six months, including
those travelers arriving with diplomatic or official
passports. For further information, travelers may
contact the Embassy of Barbados, 2144 Wyoming Avenue
N.W., Washington, D.C. 20008, telephone 202) 939-9200
and Embassy of St. Lucia, 3216 New Mexico Avenue, N.
W., Washington, D.C. 20016, telephone 202) 364-6792.


5. Departure tax for Barbados is BDS25.00 or USD19.00
and for St. Lucia is XCD$45.00 or USD$17.00.


6. The following is general information pertaining to
transportation, security, and health considerations
throughout the Eastern Caribbean:

Airports and Transportation
--------------
Eastern Caribbean nations are visitor friendly and do
not require visas for U.S. citizens traveling on valid
U.S. passports with return tickets. Commercial taxis
are readily available and reasonably priced at airports
throughout the region.

Security
--------------
In the Eastern Caribbean, foot travel outside of well-
established tourist areas is not generally recommended,
especially at night. Be vigilant when using public
telephones or ATM machines near roadsides or quiet
areas. As in many U.S. metropolitan areas, wearing
expensive jewelry, carrying expensive objects, or
carrying large amounts of cash should be avoided.
Visitors should also safeguard valuables while at the
beach. While hotels are generally safe, many visitors
have experienced loss of unattended items. Hotel
burglaries are not uncommon and all valuables should be
locked in room safes if possible.



Health Information
--------------
Throughout the Eastern Caribbean, the most likely
threat to a visitor's health is sunburn. It takes
several weeks to become accustomed to the heat and
humidity. Prolonged exposure to the sun, without
protection, causes sunburn and may ultimately result in
sun-damaged skin or even skin cancer. Sunscreens
should be used for protection. In Barbados, St. Lucia,
and St. Vincent the major health threat is dengue
fever, transmitted by mosquito. Dengue cases are most
often seen in the summer months. Persons should
therefore protect themselves with insect repellant.
There is also a growing number of HIV/AIDS cases
reported. The Eastern Caribbean enjoys clean and safe
drinking water. Only routine boosters for
immunizations (i.e. tetanus, diphtheria, and oral polio
vaccine) are required when traveling to this region.
Barbados has the best medical facilities of all the
islands in the region and most of the medical
specialties have practitioners here.

KRAMER