+1 on the El Salvador/Honduras crossing experience.
I think it need iterating that you *DO NOT NEED HELPERS*, one actually picked us up from the Gas station before the boarder and followed us all the way into Honduras (for over an hour). We just asked the officials where the next office/booth was. We ignored all directions from the helpers.
Jean finally snapped when 6 of them followed her into the small phootcopy office and told them to "F*** OFF" when they pointed at the photocopier and said "Photocopier".
The lady in the Admin Office seemed happy that we insisted on communicating with her.
Remember, you have been crossing borders since either Mexico or Argentina, and it is *exactly* the same process. So, why pay someone to potentially bump up the cost and spoil your day, they are not experts *YOU* are. One of the "helpers" touting for our business was insisting we had to have our passports stamped on entry (with a small fee to himself for arranging it), I had to explain the CA4 agreement to him.
All the border officials know about and understand the CA4 agreement, and there are posters at the Honduras border about it.
On the Insurance issue, we differ here.
If the insurance is available and appears mandatory we feel it should be purchased, as we would not be happy to be involved in an accident with an uninsured person in our own country, and after all it is *only* 12USD. That is about the amount we spend on a gas tank top up !
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