Hello,
I am taking 17 high school aged students to Bolivia with a few days in Peru. I am wondering since we are flying in and out of Bolivia from the United States, but are crossing over to Peru for only a few days before we cross back to go to La Paz again to fly home, if we need to all get the Yellow Fever vaccine so we can get the YF card. We are not going to be in a high risk area and are coming from a country (the USA) that does not need the card, but we are going to go to Peru and back. Does anyone have any current information about the border crossing and the need for the certificate? Thank you in advance for any information.
Deon

Hello Folks!

I am planning on spending three months this spring traveling around India, Indonesia, and Southeast Asia, and I am very torn about which vaccines are most necessary to invest in. My itinerary is largely still up in the air, though I plan on spending most of my time in city/costal areas. I will definitely be up-to-date on routine shots, and I'm also planning on getting HepA and typhoid. What are thoughts on cholera, Japanese Encephalitis, and rabies? I recognize that they are all a bit pricey, but I can't decide if the cost is worth the risk.

Hi all:

I would like to thank everyone in advance with helping with this question. I am asking on behalf of a friend and I am frantically attempting to research a possible solution. My friend is a Peruvian-American dual citizen (dual passport holder). She traveled to Lima for the holidays for a duration of 13 days, before catching a layover flight to Newark Liberty Airport with a final destination to Chiang Mai. However, before catching her flight, she was advised that she may not be able to enter Thailand because she does not have her yellow fever vaccine. She was unaware of that requirement, assuming that requirement was for non-American passport holders or for those coming from at-risk areas outside of metro Lima.

How can she bypass this requirement? Since she is flying from Newark to Chiang Mai, would it be possible for her to use her American passport to enter, which shows no entry or exit visa for Peru? Or will airport officials already know she is travelling from Peru due to the purchased flight ticket? In the event she is unable to enter Thailand, is she able to purchase a ticket to a different country? I am currently studying abroad in Manila, so I am thinking, she can enter the Philippines, get a yellow fever vaccine and stay with me for 10 days, then go on her way to Thailand.

I apologize for the complicated situation. I am not entirely sure what to do.

Last week - after the rain season - I went by public transport from Freetown to Monrovia. It took me 2 days. Here are the details in short:
Day 1:
I started at around 9 am in the centre of Freetown. From there by TukTuk to the lorry park called "Shell" in Kissy (not far, but more than 1 hour, heavy traffic jam, 30,000 Leones). At "Shell" I saw a big bus going to Bo and further to Kenema (so there is not only the government bus early in the morning). I went by a smaller vehicle (14 passengers), that was ready for departure after about 2 hours of waiting. Driving time to Bo: about 4.5 hours, 35,000 Leones, only a few short stops, good road.
In Bo I stayed in a hotel called "Heat and Cold" (Tikonko Rd) for 120,000 Leones. The hotel has a small restaurant and bar.

Day 2:
At 6 am I was at the small Toma Elias car park (near Standard Charter Bank and post office), from where the Jeeps to the border at Gendema leave. I was the first passenger and waited for 3 hours. It was a wise decision to buy 2 seats as this trip was not easy. (1 seat 90.000 Leones). At 9 am the old Jeep was full (10 other passenger+baggage)
and left. The first 2 hours up to Potoru were nice, as the new road has been completed here. From Potoru to Zimmi a broad aisle through the forest has been completed including some short stretches of a paved road. Driving was quite smooth and took 1.5 hours incl the ferry crossing at the river Moa. In Zimmi a short stop (loading more things and passport check). From Zimmi to the border village Gendema it's still the "original"road which consists of a sequence of holes, filled with plenty of water in mid November. But the old Jeep made it! Only the hard working driver got wet - by his own sweat... In Gendema (which is quite insolated from the rest of Sierra Leone and much better connected with Liberia) you can find honest money changers and 1 or 2 basic guest houses.

The border was not at all busy. Nevertheless, it took me almost 2 hours to cross it. From the small car park, where the Jeep stoped it's a bit more than 1 km to the Mano river, where on both sides the immigration offices are. You can walk or use the service of the friendly young men with their motor bikes. In and around the immigration offices on both sides there are plenty of officers who don't have much to do. And I was the only White... Be friendly and patient! The only real problem was the health post officer of Sierra Leone. He wanted to see an up-to-date Cholera vaccination certificate. Only when I wanted to call the German embassy and only when he saw that I had its phone number he let me go.

The border village in liberia is called Bo Waterside. Right outside the immigration offices shared taxis are waiting to take passengers to Douala (not in Cameroon but in the outskirts of Monrovia). 1 seat is 5 US Dollars or 700 Liberian Dollars. The road to Douala is good, driving time minimum 1.5 hours. In my case it was 3 hours, as one of the African passengers of the taxi didn't have valid papers (there are several checkpoints on the way) and as it was already dark (slower driving with bad lights).
In Monrovia bad roads and heavy traffic. The taxi took me from Douala to downtown Monrovia - for another 10 US Dollars (I was the only one left). I paid. No resistance. No bargaining any more.
At around 9pm I was in my booking.com- accomodation ("Miss Emily's Place": save, friendly,clean, nice bathroom. They also have a dorm with 4 beds). I was the only guest.

Save travels always!

I