Passport

All American citizens must have a valid U.S. passport for travel to Honduras. Your U.S. passport must be valid for at least SIX months after your scheduled date of return to the United States. We encourage you to carry a photocopy of your U.S. passport with you at all times while in Honduras.

 

Required documents

We must receive your Cape CARES' application and required documents and fee 8 weeks prior to departure for Honduras. This includes: a copy of your passport photo page, a copy of your driver's license (only necessary if you intend to drive in Honduras), copies of your medical/dental license and diploma (only if you are physician or dentist), a check for the in-country fee of $550, and (optional) a check for lempiras, (see Lempiras info below).

 

Before making your flight reservations, check with your team leader as to your team's target arrival time. We make every effort to have team members arrive within an hour or two of one another. Make your flight reservations and provide the Cape CARES administrator with your flight itinerary.  (Some team leaders may book a group reservation. You have the option of being included or making your own flight arrangements.)

 

Check with your physician regarding a prescription for chloroquine, an anti-malaria pill. If you choose to get a prescription, start taking it two weeks prior to your departure for Honduras. You should also ask your physician's advice regarding a Hepatitis shot and tetanus protection.

Baggage information

You are permitted to take a carry-on that can fit under your seat, and two suitcases, maximum weight - 50 lbs. each. Typically, however, volunteers take a carry-on and one suitcase.

 

We bring a lot of dental and medical supplies with us from the States. We may ask you to help us by taking a suitcase of medical supplies in addition to your own baggage.

Please pack lightly

At the clinic, you can wear scrubs, t-shirts, shorts or slacks. Some people prefer slacks so as to provide protection from mosquitoes. Typically, in the evening, people wear shorts, T-shirts, and sandals. You will need one casual, neat outfit for the 'farewell' dinner at the end of our week. We discourage wearing of short shorts as a courtesy to the Honduran people. Slacks or skirts for women are preferred in the city. Do not wear clothing with a "military" look, i.e. camouflage, etc.

 

For footwear, we suggest supportive sneakers + socks for the clinic, open shoes or sandals for after clinic, flip flops for the shower.

Laundry

In San Marcos and Los Encinitos, there is laundry service on site, so you can get away with minimum clothes. At the hotel, staff will do your laundry for a fee.

Valuables

Please leave valuables at home. Travel with a small amount of cash and a minimum number of credit cards. While in the city and at the airport, be aware of those around you.

"What to Bring" Suggestions

1. Passport
2. Driver's license
3. Credit card - we suggest you bring only one
4. Flashlight or headlamp, extra batteries
5. Camera, batteries, memory card
6. Insect repellant with DEET
7. Sunscreen
8. Hat - the sun is strong
9. Bandana - for the dust, or to soak in cool water and wear around the neck to keep cool
   Los Encinitos and San Marcos teams: There may be sheets on site, but you may want to bring a sleeping bag, sleeping bag liner, or air mattress. Bring your own towels.
10. Two or three sets of scrubs
11. Bathing suit
12. Personal toiletries
13. Personal medications, vitamins, (Pepto-Bismol, Kaopectate, Tums, band-aids, anti-
    bacterial ointments, etc.)
14. Anti-malaria meds
15. Wristwatch and/or travel alarm clock
16. Extra pair of prescription glasses; contact lens care items
17. Sunglasses
18. Cell phone - may or may not work in country. You can purchase an international calling plan from your carrier.
19. El Algodonal teams: non-perishable snacks for lunches while at clinic; e.g. granola bars, nuts, cans of tuna fish, packets of cheese and crackers
20. Water bottle - put your name on it
21. Reading material, crossword puzzles, sudoku - "things to do when the sun goes down"
    Backpack or fanny pack - good for carrying items you may need throughout the day, e.g. camera, tissues, hand sanitizer, pens, etc.
22. Medical and dental personnel - instruments you will want at clinic

Arriving in Honduras

We fly into Toncontin Airport in Tegucigalpa, the capital city of Honduras. Our Honduran contact, a member of the Knights of Malta, meets us at the airport, guides us through customs, and takes us to our vehicle rentals. All team members are responsible for assisting in loading and unloading supplies. Once with the group, please stay together. If you must leave the group temporarily, tell your team leader where you are going.

The Los Encinitos team travels from the airport to its site. The San Marcos and El Algodonal teams travel to either the hotel in Jicaro Galan or Hotel Real Vista Hermosa in Nacaome. The El Algodonal team is based at the hotel for the week and commutes to the site each day. The San Marcos team spends one night at the hotel and makes the 2-3 hour trip to San Marcos the next morning.

Please click on Our Sites for site-specific information.

Before and After Your Week with Cape CARES

Your Cape CARES trip begins and ends on the dates provided for your week. If you choose to arrive in Honduras before the start of the volunteer week and/or to stay in Honduras for any length of time beyond the end-of-trip date, expenses incurred during these time periods are your responsibility. These include, but are not limited to, accommodations, meals, and transportation. Be sure to check trip dates, found on the Trip Dates page, before making your air reservations.

Our stays at hotels

For those nights when we stay at a hotel, we stay at hotels that have air-conditioning, TV, showers, and a swimming pool. For electricity, you do not need a converter. The hotel supply towels and bed linens. Proper tipping for the maids at the hotel is between 20-50 lempiras. If the team is having a meal together at the hotel, the team leader will tip the wait staff.

 

Almost all accommodations will be double rooms shared by team members.

El Algodonal team members are to leave room keys at the desk before going to clinic so the housekeeper can clean rooms.

Climate

Honduras is hot, usually humid, and can be about 88-100 degrees by mid-day. The rainy season begins in early summer. During this season, there may be rain showers and thunderstorms daily. They are, however, brief and blue skies and sun quickly replace the clouds.

 

Sanitary facilities

In Honduras, you don't flush toilet paper. Instead, you put it in the bucket next to the toilet. Water pressure is not great and even a small amount of paper might clog the pipes. The bucket will be emptied every day by the housekeeper.

 

Water

Do not drink tap water. Only drink bottled water and be sure to drink enough during the day so that you do not get dehydrated. Bring your filled water bottle with you to the clinic. At the hotel, there will be a pitcher of water in your room. This water is safe to drink and to use when brushing your teeth.

Lempiras for spending money

For your convenience, we can change your U.S. dollars into lempiras for you. If you mail us a check 4-8 weeks prior to your departure, we will provide you with your lempiras upon your arrival in Honduras. Typically, volunteers request to have $50-$100 converted to lempiras. You will not need a lot of money in Honduras, just some for souvenirs, tipping, departure tax, and other incidentals.

You will need the equivalent of about $35- $40 U.S. to for your departure tax. You can pay this with lempiras, U.S. dollars, or a combination of the two. This tax cannot be paid with a credit card.

 

As a general support person, what will I be doing?

As a general support person, you may be asked to assist the doctors and/or dentists, help with registration of patients, care for an infant or entertain a young child while a parent is seen, help with eye-testing, sterilize instruments, act as pharmacist, or provide education on dental care.

We go over the particulars of the clinic and team members' responsibilities when we arrive in Honduras. Everyone helps set up the clinic on our first day and take it down on our last day.

Spanish fluency?

You do not have to speak Spanish to join a Cape CARES team. If you know the language or even a few words, that certainly helps. Since it's critical that we have personnel to translate for physicians and dentists who do not know the language, we oftentimes have students from the Discovery School in Tegucigalpa join our teams as translators.

Suggested supplies that MD’s can bring from home:

stethoscope

otoscope

opthalmoscope

BP cuff

Flashlight

tongue depressors

several surgical kits

lido

Hibiclens

Scalpels

Sutures

a quick reference for prescribing

any good very simple patient education materials in Spanish

Suggested supplies that DMD’s can bring from home :

Gloves

Surgery instruments

Some resorb sutures

2x2s

H.P. angle if you are using the electric HP----otherwise 4 hole handpieces for the unit

100 feet or so of 3 wire extension cord if you use the generator (maybe multi plug    adapter)

Local anesthetic 200 to 300 carps

Boxes of needles (just in case)

Syringes

Flashlights and batteries

Surgical burs

Matches or spark lighter for the stove

Anesthetics

Gauze

Suggested supplies that RN’s can bring from home:

stethoscope

a well functioning glucometer with disposable lancets and strips

an electronic BP machine

urine dipsticks

pregnancy tests

 

(Note: An RN who traveled with a team to El Algodonal in June ’10, said “while there are tons of supplies, it's best to bring your essential triage tools with you”.

 

Miscellaneous and helpful hints

 

1. The Cape CARES board has established a policy of not bringing gifts to individuals in the villages. Please do not bring candy or toys, or other items to give away to the villagers. However, "good patient" stickers for the children are acceptable and can be given at the end of the appointment.

 

2. We do not encourage you to go out after dark. If you choose to, however, do not go alone and bring a flashlight. Also, always let someone else know where you are going. We have never had an incident, but caution is highly recommended whenever you leave the team and/or site.

 

3. The food is great in Honduras. It will be prepared just for us each day in a safe manner so that we do not have to worry about illness. It is homemade and basic, like chicken and rice, or fried chicken, or rice and beans, with assorted local vegetables and fruits.

 

4. On our last night in Honduras, we stay in Tegucigalpa at either Leslie's Place or at the Maya Hotel. That evening, we enjoy a festive farewell dinner, compliments of Cape CARES. The next morning, we have rides to the airport where we each need to pay our departure tax. This is to be paid in cash and must be paid in either lempiras, U.S. dollars, or a combination of the two.

 

5. On your return flight, you will receive a customs form to be completed prior to entry into the U.S. When filling out the form, indicate your reason for traveling to Honduras was for tourism.

6. Cape CARES pays for all basic food and lodging, as well as for evacuation insurance for each of us in the event of a medical emergency. Before the trip, emergency contact numbers will be provided to you for your family.

Is the food safe to eat?

We recommend that you drink only bottled water. On site, the food is prepared by people who have been trained to observe hygienic food practices. A good rule of thumb is to avoid eating uncooked food .

Do we provide the same quality of medical and dental care that is provided in the U.S.?

Given the limited resources, we attempt to give every person the best care possible. We adhere to the same standards of care that we use in the U.S. and respect the dignity of each patient.

In case of emergency, how does our family contact us?