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

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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