CENTRAL AMERICA
The new RVing Frontier!

Article #8 - DOCUMENT ISSUES: What about them?

by Jim Jaillet - Copyright 2006 - All Rights Reserved

In Article #1, CENTRAL AMERICA: You Can Do It!, we discussed the importance of
planning. Good planning will help you experience your trip with NO DOCUMENT
PROBLEMS!

Documents are very important in Mexico and Central America. Border crossing
personnel, police, military, and whatever other miscellaneous officials always wonder
what you are doing in their jurisdiction and will constantly ask you to present your
documents for inspection. You should always carry some form of identification, ideally
your passport or, even better, a laminated copy of it in a safe place on your person.
Always make sure you carry all the appropriate, properly completed documents at all
times. If you cannot produce them, you may find yourself in jail!

That said, DO NOT LOSE YOUR ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS becomes the next most
important issue. My best advice is to make copies and store them in a safe place as soon
as possible! Generally, copy machines are readily available. However, when we passed
through a remote border crossing into Honduras, the only copy machine in the village did
not work and we found ourselves stranded! We waited for two days and "no, sorry," but
they did not know when the repairman would arrive. We lucked out when one of our
travel companions remembered he "once owned a thermo-fax copy machine," wondered
if it still remained in his rig, and if yes, could he find it? Fortunately, he found it and
although it took the entire day to make enough required copies of all our documents, we
finally proceeded on our journey. If not for that copy machine, we might still remain in
that village today! Many people now own a computer and a flat scanner costs about $30.
I now own a scanner and would not go to Central America again without one.

Now regarding a safe place to store your documents. Prior to my departure,
burglary/theft of my money and documents became a paramount concern. So that I
could sleep better regarding my concern, I bought a fire-proof safe at Wal-Mart for
about $60. I securely installed it in an out-of-sight location in my motorhome and I did
sleep better at night!

What documents do you need?

• A Passport with at least six months remaining from the entry date into the country.
  On my trip through eight countries with 14 border crossings, all but 2 of the 24
  pages became stamped in some manner. Make sure enough blank pages remain in
  your Passport for your planned trip. If you need more blank pages, you can get them
  at no cost. Any U.S. Post Office carries the form to request blank pages:
  

                 U.S. Department of State
         APPLICATION FOR ADDITIONAL VISA PAGES

• A valid driver's license, and  in addition, an International Driver's License is also
  recommended. You can get the International license at most AAA offices for
  $10.00. Make sure you get a Category B for vehicles in excess of 3,500 kilos. I got
  one before I left and never showed it once during my whole trip.
  
• A valid vehicle registration in the name of the driver.
  
• A valid vehicle Title of Ownership in the name of the driver. If other than the
  driver, a notarized letter of authorization.
  
• A Bill of Sale, if you bring a bicycle. If you do not possess a Bill of Sale, ask a friend
  make one for you prior to your trip departure identifying brand, color, and most
  importantly, the frame number.
  
• A written prescription(s) for any drugs in your rig or on your body being taken at a
  doctor's direction. Without a valid original prescription, you could face a serious
  situation.
  
• All entry documents (visas, vehicle permits, insurance, etc.) associated with your
  current country of visitation.
  

Officials will always want to see the originals of all documents. With the quality of
today's color copiers, I would make copies of all these documents and use these when
dealing with officials. I highly doubt most officials can discern the difference. If an
official should challenge you, you can always provide the original saying you did not want
them lost or stolen. I consider it a good rule-of-thumb not to let my original documents
out of my possession or at least my sight.

Don't miss the next installment " SAFETY/SECURITY ISSUES: What about them?" in
which I'll discuss the considerations of preparing your mindset for your journey. Stay
tuned and remember my promise at the beginning of Article#1......... YOU CAN DO IT!

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Jim Jaillet is a full-time RVer, Adventurer and Author of
PANAMA OR BUST - A 343 day adventure in a motorhome!

You can claim your copy of my book for only $19.95 at  http://www.panamaorbust.com

I'd love to hear what you thought of this Article #8, DOCUMENT ISSUES, What about
them? Please send your comments, questions, and ideas for upcoming articles to me  at
jimj@panamaorbust.com
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Disclaimer: The author in no way can guarantee your safety in Central America. After all
they are Third World countries and not without danger or the possibility of death. You go
at your own risk. The author is only suggesting that with some planning, common sense and
caution you may minimize your potential dangers and be rewarded with countless cultural
experiences.  :)
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