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Suzie's Blogs ...Traveling & Living Abroad Hints & Tips |
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Suzie's Blogs ... Traveling & Living Abroad Hints & Tips |
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The U.S. Embassy has suspended operations and all official Americans have departed the country. Guinea-Bissau is a developing nation on the west coast of Africa. Portuguese is the official language. French is also widely spoken. Facilities for tourism are minimal, particularly outside the capital city of Bissau. A visa must be obtained in advance; recent visitors arriving without visas via land or air have been turned back. Two photos and evidence of yellow fever immunization must accompany visa applications. Medical facilities in Guinea-Bissau are extremely limited. Medicines often are not available. Malaria and other tropical diseases are common. Petty thievery and pickpocketing are increasingly common, particularly at the airport, in markets and at public gatherings. Thieves have occasionally posed as officials and stolen bags and other personal items. Visitors should request permission from security personnel before photographing military or police installations. Small U.S. currency denominations are most useful for exchange into Guinea-Bissau pesos. Credit cards and travelers checks are rarely accepted in Guinea-Bissau. Fund transfers between banks are frequently difficult and time-consuming to accomplish. Taking pesos out of the country is prohibited. Travelers may have difficulty finding public phones and receiving international calls. Telephone services are expensive. Thanks for taking the time to read my blog. Suzies Travel Blog Posted: Friday 11th March 2005, 12:27 AM |