COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED FOR RICHARD PYLE TO

UNCLAS BRIDGETOWN 000826 SIPDIS TOPEC SIPDIS BRIDGETOWN PASS TO PEACE CORPS ST. LUCIA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ASEC OTRA SC ST XL SUBJECT: COUNTRY CLEARANCE GRANTED FOR RICHARD PYLE TO TRAVEL TO ST. KITTS AND ST. LUCIA REF: SECSTATE 75650 ¶1. Embassy Bridgetown warmly welcomes and grants country clearance to Special Services Officer, Richard Pyle to travel to St. Lucia for TDY from May 11 to May 17, 2006. The purpose of this visit is to meet staff and volunteers in St. Kitts and St. Lucia. ¶2. Embassy Bridgetown would like to remind travelers from Peace Corps that all official country clearance requests should be at least five to ten working days in advance of travel to allow for appropriate response. Country clearance should not be assumed to be granted unless a response is transmitted. ¶3. Embassy Bridgetown understands that Peace Corps Eastern Caribbean based in St. Lucia will arrange for Mr. Pyle's transportation and lodging. ¶4. Mr. Pyle will arrive in St. Kitts on American Airlines flight #5112 on May 11 and will be returning on American Airlines flight #5059 on May 17, 2006. ¶6. Mr. Pyle will be visiting the following islands during this trip: 5/11 -5/13: St. Kitts and 5/14 - 5/17: St. Lucia. ¶7. Entry requirements: A valid U.S. passport is required to enter St. Kitts and St. Lucia. For further information contact the Envasa of St. Kitts and Nevis, 3216 New Mexico Avenue, N. W., Washington, D.C., 20016 or by phone at (202) 686-2636 and Envasa of St. Lucia, 3216 New Mexico Avenue, N. W., Washington, D.C., 20016 or by phone at (202) 364-6792. ¶8. Departure tax for St. Kitts is XCD$30.00 (Eastern Caribbean Dollars) or USD$ 12.00. Departure tax for St. Lucia is XCD$45.00 (Eastern Caribbean Dollars) or USD$17.00. ¶9. 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 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