Team Information

Team Information

Airport Information

• Teams fly into Toncontin International Airport (TGU) in Teguicalpa Honduras OR San Pedro Sula (SAP) airport in San Pedro Sula, Honduras. Team leaders are responsible for making their own flight arrangements -HOWEVER – please confirm your dates with an El Ayudante staff member before purchasing your tickets!
• A $37 exit fee is also required to leave the country. This is NOT included in airline fees. Can be paid in either Dollars or Lempiras. Each team member is responsible for this.
• When buying your tickets, be aware of which airlines charge for baggage – some only allow carry-ons and some allow 2 free bags per person. Consider the additional cost of luggage when deciding which airlines to use.

Passport & Visa

• A valid passport is required (must be at least 6 months before passport expires). No Visa is required. If a team member is not a US citizen, additional identification may be required.




Health

• The MDtravelhealth.com recommends the following immunizations before arrival in Honduras.

Hepatitis A	Recommended for all travelers
Typhoid	Recommended for all travelers
Yellow fever	Required for travelers arriving from a yellow-fever-infected area in Africa or the Americas
Hepatitis B	Recommended for all travelers
Rabies	For travelers spending a lot of time outdoors, or at high risk for animal bites, or involved in any activities that might bring them into direct contact with bats
Measles, mumps, rubella (MMR)	Two doses recommended for all travelers born after 1956, if not previously given
Tetanus-diphtheria	Revaccination recommended every 10 years
TMalaria	Not considered a concern in Teguicalpa however Comayagua area is considered moderate rate of risk. This is up to you as a team to decide.

Embassy Registry

The US State Department recommends that all US Citizens traveling abroad register with the State Department. This gives the US Embassy in Tegucigalpa a record of all US citizens that are in Honduras. On the following link is “A Checklist for Travelers.” http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/tips/68426.htm. The last bullet is where you click on “register.” This will take you to a page that tells:

1. What is Travel Registration?
2. Why should I register?

3. How can the embassy and consulate assist me while I am abroad?

From this link, there is a button “Register My Trip.” After you click this button, the form will appear that you need to complete. This form needs to be completed and submitted individually by each team member. It is not possible to register as a group.

Insurance

• Each team member should check with their insurance carrier to make sure they are covered while in Honduras.

• It is recommended that the team leader purchase accidental/evacuation insurance for the team members.


Lempira

The local currency is the Lempira, but US dollars (bills) are accepted. These bills must be in good condition without tears or marks or they will not be accepted. Exchange rate is generally, 18.8985 lempiras = 1 US dollar. Smaller bills are better, since you will receive change in lempiras.

Contact Information While in Honduras

• A cell phone will be provided to each team which can be called from the US. The cell number will be provided to the team leader before departure to Honduras. There will be enough time placed on the cell phone to allow for the team leader to call a predetermined contact person in the US to notify of their team’s safe arrival. Incoming calls are free to the assigned cell phone, but are quite expensive and charged to the US caller. Teams can purchase time for the cell phone in Tegucigalpa to make calls back to the US at only about $.10/minute.
• There is no internet available at the mission house as internet has not even arrived to that region yet. Please be sure to inform your team to not expect any computer time during your stay. There are internet café’s in the town where we will tour on day 7 if people would choose to use their time there instead of touring – that is up to the team leader.
• If there is an emergency, and your family cannot reach the team phone, they may call Tristan & Elizabeth Mohagen at: 011-504-9762-5869 or 011-504-9752-8879, or email Elizabeth at: eamohagen@yahoo.com OR call this US number and leave a message that we will pass along to the team member: 541-234-6494.

Recommendations for Good Health and Safety

• Wash hands often. Also, use anti-bacterial gel which kills most germs. Carrying an antiseptic mouthwash is also good. These practices will help prevent illness.

• Drink only bottled/purified water or carbonated drinks in cans or bottles. Brush teeth with bottled water. Avoid tap water, fountain drinks, and ice cubes—off campus. It is safe to drink the fountain drinks with ice cubes at the restaurants that are chosen by the staff of El Ayudante.

• The food served to you at El Ayudante will be safe. The staff at El Ayudante will take you to restaurants that safely prepare the food and use purified water. Do not eat anything in Honduras unless it is prepared for you at the team house or at a restaurant chosen by El Ayudante’s staff. You can politely turn down food.

• Don’t handle animals (dogs, cats, horses, cows). Remember, these animals probably have not had rabies or other vaccinations.
• Don’t forget to use sunglasses and sun block.

• If you use prescription medications, make sure you take plenty with you to last; it is also not a bad idea to carry a copy of your prescriptions.

• Never go anywhere by yourself. Always let someone know where you and another team member are going.