FMF - Friends of Minerals Forum, discussion and message board

[valere]

Hi everybody,

Although the topic how to travel with minerals has been often discussed, I would like to start a new discussion.

Addis Ababa is a major hub for the traveller to Africa, and the biggest stress of my last trip from Congo RDC happened there. No problem with the Mai Mai (a catastrophe this year in Katanga) or with thieves on a drive finishing after dark. The few hundred meters between the entrance of the airport and getting inside the plane with my cabin luggage was a long process, but was arranged perfectly (any traveler to Lubumbashi know what kind of adventure it can be). So the flight started with confidence! Minerals splited into the large suitcase and minerals into my cabin luggage (the most precious little ones and a couple of very fragile specimens, no more than 2 or 3 kg of specimens). (No radioactive minerals, no precious metals, no gemstones). Departure 2 hours late, so no view on the Tanganika lake this time... Congo is a very demanding country, but so generous, beautiful with many friendly peoples.

Addis was my transit aeroport, where the big stress happened, at the last X ray check! The official told me I needed papers to make me authorized to travel with minerals (why not to travel with glasses or an underwear?). He called a supervisor and told me I would have the rocks confiscated. I doubted he wanted a tip, in a place full of peoples and cameras! After about 15 minutes of waiting there, a very high blood pressure, thinking going back to Congo but with no time for it, and nobody coming, he told me he would make me an exceptional favor and let me go. That means next time, I would need to have a paper... (what kind of paper?) of change my flight plans. Apparantly he told it is not allowed to travel with rocks, even in transit, in Addis airport (although not written in the airoprt rules...). On the former trip, no problem.

Did anybody already had this problem in Addis. Is there a black list of airports to avoid for the mineral collectors, and a list of airports where custom officials are more friendly and know there are thousands of mineral collectors who travel with rocks all the time...

Everything finished perfectly, but I will not take that risk twice!

Cheers

Valère

[Don Lum]

Hello Valere,

I'm glad you and your minerals arrived home safely.

Thanks for the "heads up" on traveling with rocks.

Don

[Jordi Fabre]

Recommended reading: Airport security

[John Nash]

Hi Valère,

I suspect Amsterdam is a particularly friendly airport. We visited friends in Belgium some years ago. One friend was kind enough to arrange to blow up part of a limestone quarry (he was the engineer!) just the day before we got there, so that we might find some calcite and another shot while we were there so we could see a cliff come down. So that was great!! BOOM! and we found some nice calcite. It didn't occur to us until we were headed into the airport that the fresh blasting powder on the rocks might be a concern for someone... Ah, but we bought some fine Dutch chocolate at the airport, that interestingly was molded into the shapely and nearly life-sized form of breasts. Only in Amsterdam, no? This showed up so nicely on the x-ray as we went through security and caused such a reaction in the guys scanning the luggage, I'm afraid they didn't think about our rocks. I'm not sure this would work at all airports.

John

[valere]

Thanks for the link Jordi! Interesting to read and gather all these experiences! To move with rocks

Here, the problem was very serious, because it could have been fatal for the rocks! Several being unique specimens impossible to replace. This is why I take this warning very seriously! I took 2 hours during the night before departure to pack some of these very fragile stuff. Some were too fragile to make them move by other methods (no pressure allowed on the specimens). This officer was not a guy to joke with, he will recognise me for sure next time.

When the group of rocks is unique, splitting is needed, several ways, several methods, on a large period of time, so the lost of one group can be tolerated!

The worst experience I had was about 10 years ago, when some rocks have been stolen from my backpak at the Marrakesh airport, no big deal however they were great pieces, but not unique.

Back from Morocco, I already had fun using tricks to lower the curiosity at the costum with handluggages: packing with old socks, very used underwear, 100% pork salaisons... With a large smile and politeness.

John! Your story is great! Why not sex toys to intertain the custom officers? The Duch openminded humor is not universal however!

Cheers