In Reply to: Geneva Handicraft Centre posted by Baliku on Tuesday, 25. January 2005 at 08:34 Bali Time:
Hi Baliku,
I agree, Geneva IS a must. Their prices, variety and helpfulness are second to none.
Like many, I bought up big whilst there last July. I even went to the trouble, when back at my hotel, of opening every wooden item from packaging to try to "fumigate" it myself. (Had read this somewhere on the forum - you know how great we all are with advice!) Anyway, I placed each item in a large black plastic bag on my balcony, then sprayed like crazy with heaps of fly/insect spray, then left it overnight sealed in the garbage bag. I then tapped each item before rewrapping, to ensure there were no loose insects dropping out. (Must say at this stage, not a thing dropped out!)
I was the first arriving in Customs - unfortunately also the last to leave. The Customs Officer laboriously looked at each item I was declaring. She wanted to know how much I paid for each item, where I purchased it etc. (What a sticky beak! She should read the Forum for that sort of info! I just wanted to get home). Finally, she declared there was a pinhead dot on a wooden placemat of mine - that borers must be present. My setting of 8, became a setting of 7.
The machine that views inside your bag of undeclared items broke down. (More delays!)
Finally, it was working and my bag was stopped. I was asked what the oval item in one carry-on bag was. They wanted to inspect it, thinking it was a large wooden bowl I was not declaring. They soon discovered it was a shell bathroom basin, as I had stated. Incredibly, there was lots of fuss and it was convescated. Customs decided that the sand that was interspersed with the shells to decorate the inside of the basin, was a risk - even though the entire basin was sealed in a clear resin (Like those plastic toilet seats you see around!)
Amazingly, a framed mirror that had the exact same resin covered frame, with shell and sand inserts, was not commented on.
I believe that beautiful shell basin probably now sits proudly in the Customs Officers own bathroom!
Buyer beware - OF CUSTOMS OFFICIALS!
Ruby.