Ebola daughter update and advice.

[goldhorse]

NO, my daughter does not have Ebola. She is over in Sierra Leone working for the CDC on Ebola surveillance and management. Having a great time and falling in love with the country. But that's not the point of this post. The local artisans specialize in wood carvings. She wants to bring back a life sized carved crocodile but is failing on the logistics. Since Sierra Leone is "quarantined", we've only been able to find DHL express for shipping. That would cost over US $4000 Does anyone have any ideas? She's talked to the hotel concierge. I've told her to talk to the embassy staff. Now I'm out of ideas.

P.S. Many many thanks to the person who pm'd me from UDBB when I had this thread running. I can't remember your name but your pm's were very kind and much appreciated.

[Canyon]

I'm glad your daughter is doing well on her adventure.

Wow, $4000! I wonder if she could buy an extra airline seat and fly the crocodile that way

What shipper did CDC use to get all their supplies into Sierra Leone?

[goldhorse]

CDC uses container shipping. Embassy staff are each allotted once container for their personal belongings. I told her to get it a therapy animal vest and take it on the airplane. But it probably weighs over 100 lbs. Maybe little wheels on the feet?

[bits]

It's probably in one piece, but is there anyway it can be sectioned and then put together once here?

[goldhorse]

No, I don't think it comes apart. I don't think it's going to find a home in the US.

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[Chisamba]

What would it cost as checked luggage?

[Snork]

I think chisamba might be on to something. Checked oversized luggage - it might be expensive, even very expensive, but nothing like 4K

[hoopoe]

agree wrap well and send as checked baggage.

people take skis and golf clubs / bags all the time

[heddylamar]

I was going to say checked luggage too. I've checked some odd stuff without any hassle.

[goldhorse]

Yeah, but she's detouring through Belgium for a few days. We have discussed this and we're stymied with the simple task of wrapping it up into some kind of carton. Services like that just don't exist over there. Most locals don't even have shoes. Finding bubble wrap and a cardboard box isn't going to happen. Oh well. Mr. Crocodile will have to stay in his homeland.
But I do like my therapy vest idea

I just checked the oversize baggage fee. 600 Euros or more to make it back to the states. Oh well

[zevida]

Maybe they can give her a pocket sized wood carving instead? It's cool, but impractical. I mean, where do you keep it even when you get it home?

[Logan's Mom]

Sheeesh, my nephew brought home a young male cat from Bomotoke cheaper than that.

[PNG_Pony]

Hmm, when I ship carvings out of PNG, I generally put it on a sea freight container (takes a few months) or in my checked luggage (I just wear all my clothes, normally, and stuff the suitcase full of gifts...I wouldn't want to wear any of my PNG clothes in the US anyway!). DHL is super expensive (as you found!), and the regular post office isn't that reliable. In lieu of bubble wrap I use plastic bags (shopping bags or ziploc) with air blown into them. Or I'll wrap it in a rug or another soft gift I'm taking and cover the whole thing in plastic bags/something waterproof and slather it with tape. But, I've never taken anything of that size out. We do have cardboard here; I generally ask for it at the local grocery store and get a few nasty boxes and tape them all together. Is there any other container service at the port? Maybe not something all the way to the US, but perhaps to Europe? (Sometimes we use one company to get stuff from PNG to Brisbane and then we use another company to get it to the US).

(It might not be an issue with the airports she's travelling through, but even if Sierra Leone lets her bring stuff out, not all countries will let her bring stuff in, even temporarily (like Australia). With any wood or organic products, I have to freeze it, sometimes spray it, and shake it thoroughly so that no little bits fall out and it gets taken because they think there are bugs in it.)

[goldhorse]

I didn't think about quarantines on the receiving end. She's bringing back a bunch of small wooden carvings and that will have to do. i was hoping that somebody from the US embassy was coming back soon and we could sneak it into their container but no such luck. She's leaving in one week so she doesn't have any more time to deal with sea freight. it was fun fantasizing about a life sized crocodile in my back yard.

[Figgy]

i'd be checking - if she tried to bring such a thing into Australia our customs without declaring it they would seize it and burn it.

What they will allow is if the importer agrees to have the wood fumigated within an inch of its life she may be able to get it through (provided the wood isn't contaminated with critters. This is probably what PNG is doing - although there is so much traffic between PNG and Australia the rules may differ.

So - you may want to shop around and find out if it needs to be fumigated, treated or what the rules are. Last thing you want to do is bring critters into the country that destroy your local plantations.

[DD2]

If there are any U.S. Military personnel over there, and she is friends with one, he/she may just be able to throw it on the cargo plane they use for troops transport. I know several who have brought back stuff as large as a pool table on their C130. Just a thought.,..

[goldhorse]

She is on her way home! Currently in Belgium and flies to NYC tomorrow.