COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED FOR JULIE CICCARONE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 BRIDGETOWN 000804 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 JULIE CICCARONE TO TRAVEL TO GRENADA, ST. VINCENT, DOMINICA AND ST. LUCIA REF: SECSTATE 74847 ¶1. Embassy Bridgetown warmly welcomes and grants country clearance to Country Desk Officer Julie Ciccarone to travel to St. Lucia for TDY from May 22 to June 4, 2006. The purpose of this visit is to attend the close of service conference for Peace Corps volunteers as well as attending training of staff members and learning about post operations. ¶2. Post understands that Peace Corps Eastern Caribbean based in St. Lucia will arrange for Ms. Ciccarone's transportation and lodging. ¶3. Ms. Ciccarone will arrive in Grenada on AA flight #5076 on May 22 and will be returning on AA flight #1350 on June 4, 2006. ¶4. Ms. Ciccarone will be visiting the following islands during this trip: 5/22 - 5/28: Grenada, 5/26 - Carriacou, 5/27-5/28: St. Vincent, 5/29 - 6/1: Dominica, 6/2 - 6/4: St. Lucia. ¶5. Entry requirements: A valid U.S. passport is required to enter Grenada, St. Vincent, Dominica 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 Grenada, 1701 New Hampshire Avenue, N. W., Washington, D.C., telephone (202)265-2561, Embassy of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, 3216 New Mexico Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20016, telephone (202) 364-6730, Embassy of the Commonwealth of Dominica, 3216 New Mexico Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C., telephone (202) 364-6781, Embassy of St. Lucia, 3216 New Mexico Avenue, ¶N. W., Washington, D.C. 20016, telephone (202) 364- ¶6792. ¶6. Departure tax for Grenada is XCD$55.00 or USD$ 20.00. Departure tax for St. Vincent is XCD$45.00 or USD$ 17.00. Departure tax for the Commonwealth of Dominica is XCD$ 55.00 or USD21.00. Departure tax for St. Lucia is XCD$45.00 (Eastern Caribbean Dollars) or USD$17.00. ¶7. The following is general information pertaining to transportation, security, and health considerations throughout the Eastern Caribbean: Airports and Transportation -------------- 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 BRIDGETOWN 00000804 002 OF 002 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. GILROY