Here, we will outline everything we find necessary in terms of documents, insurance, vaccinations, etc.
Fortunately, it was very straight forward for us. All we needed was our passports, immunization documentation, and insurance documents.

-One of our first tasks was to learn the vaccinations requirements and recommendations for the Central and South American countries we will be visiting. One of the most useful resources for finding this information was the US State Department's web site. We also consulted with a doctor who specializes in medications for international travel. We decided to be vaccinated for Yellow Fever (the only required vaccine), Typhoid Fever, Hepatitis A & B, and Tetanus. We have decided NOT to take malaria medication. The risk is relatively slight in South America and the medications can wreck havoc on the body. We will take many precautions such as covering up after dusk and using plenty of repellent. We've also found some travel clothing made by Ex Officio that will be perfect. The clothing fibers are impregnated with repellent! We'll let you know how well it works. -UPDATE: Regarding the malaria medication, we ended up bringing some for our travels in parts of Guatemala and Belize. I took Larium (Mefloquine) and Breanne picked up Cloroquine in Mexico (super cheap, effectiveness debateable!). Niether was without side effects. Breanne would suffer from terrible nausea and stomach cramps. My side effects were more subtle. It wasn't until I realized that I wasn't having any fun and Breanne and I were fighting constantly that it became obvious that the Larium was changing my moods. After about three weeks on the meds we reevaluated the risks and benefits and ceased taking them. We stashed them in our medical kit as we'd heard that anti-malarias can be taken immidiately upon signs of symptoms with some degree of treatment success. Thoroughly research what you need for where you are headed and make your own decision. We are not making a recommendation to not take anti-malarials. Actually, our primary defense, for better or worse, was Gin and Tonics! Tonic water contains quinine, and the gin, well that's just for fun. Apparently this is what British soldiers would do during their occupation of India. -We did get travel insurance and fortunately we never had to use it. It was fairly cheap (about $200/person for 6 months) and easy to obtain. It sounds like all the companies are fairly good.

© Breanne Stovall and David Kiefner, 2006.