COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED FOR ROBERT K. COLE

UNCLAS BRIDGETOWN 000363 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: AMLB AMGT ASEC OTRA BB SUBJECT: COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED FOR ROBERT K. COLE TO TRAVEL TO BARBADOS REF: STATE 030891 ¶1. Embassy Bridgetown grants country clearance for OBO Construction Analyst Robert K. Cole. The purpose of this visit is to assist the Project Director during the period February 28th - March 10th 2006. Please be informed that safety shoes are required to gain access to the site. ¶2. Reservations have been confirmed for the traveller at the Coral Sands Beach Resort Tel- 1-246-435-6617. The hotel rate is US$253.13 per night, which includes all taxes and service charges. The current per diem in Barbados is US$264 for lodging and US$130 for MI&E. Confirmation number for the traveller is 10524. The local address for Coral Sands Beach Resort is Worthing, Christ Church. ¶3. The visitor will be met and transported to his lodging by PD Jorge Vazquez. ¶4. Entry requirements: A valid U.S. passport is required to enter Barbados. No visa is required if your stay is under six months, including those travellers arriving with diplomatic or official passports. For further information, travellers may contact the Embassy of Barbados, 2144 Wyoming Avenue N.W., Washington D.C. 20008, telephone 1-202-939-9200. ¶5. P O C is OBO Project Director, Jorge Vazquez Tel. 1-246-427-6819, Cel. 1-246-243-3335, Fax. 1-246- 427-6826. ¶6. Departure tax for Barbados is $25.00 BDS or $15.00USD. ¶7. The following is general information pertaining to security and health considerations throughout the Eastern Caribbean: 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 jewellery, 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 repellent. 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 travelling 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