Chile Forum

by **Vicki and Greg Lansen** on Mon May 26, 2008 5:05 am

Jill and Gloria....

You gals are going to be incredible pools of knowledge and info during your transitions. I hope that you both find time to post of your experiences in coming to Chile...Gloria coming home after all these years, and you coming with your husband home. I truly look forward to your thoughts and experiences.

Let us know how it goes.

Vicki

by **Gloria** on Wed May 28, 2008 1:17 pm

Storklady53, I sent you an email hopefully you got it. I'm very limited with regard to responding this forum due to the fact that I have to visit a cyber cafe to be able to do so.As soon as our lives are somewhat normal with internet connection, then I'll be able to write about this extraordinay adventure.

by **helibel** on Sun Jun 29, 2008 4:52 pm

Hi Gloria
Are you out there? really hoping to hear your comments on returning home to live after all those years. Just letting you know I'm thinking about you.
Helen

by **Gloria** on Sun Jun 29, 2008 7:11 pm

Hi Helen, thank you for thinking of me. Yes, I'm here in Chile, doing well (considering after a second bronchitis in a month) and just getting settled in Valdivia.
Today is Xmas in July for us, our things finally arrived after a long wait. It's an exciting moment to be able to touch our belongings once again. Everything got here without a bruise in a remarkable shape....awesome!!!
However I must say, the paperwork is another thing.The bureaucracy is never ending but I succeded. Needless to say that I was like a major Preparation H to be able to accomplish anything, even at the Bank....what a pain in the ass to get anything done even to exchange currency. Banco de Chile in Valdivia got to know me very well by now after I put them upside down for making me wait for over an hour in a simple transaction. So now when they see me, they whisper behind their desks.
Overall, we have been treated very well and kindly by the locals. It has been somewhat curious to see some of the things they do or don't do here in the south but we go with the flow.In many situations, this is a country of contrast but we are happy to be here...this chilean is finally home!!!

by **helibel** on Sun Jun 29, 2008 7:30 pm

Ahh! I knew you were a formidable women, someone to be reckoned with. Watch out Chile beareucrats,Glorias here and she speaks Spanish!

by **mlightheart** on Sun Jun 29, 2008 9:13 pm

Yes, they see you coming and they whisper...G-L-O-R-I-A!!!

Look forward to hearing about your adventures in Chile here on the forum!

by **RWS** on Sun Jun 29, 2008 9:21 pm

Gloria wrote:. . . . Today is Xmas in July for us, our things finally arrived after a long wait. It's an exciting moment to be able to touch our belongings once again. Everything got here without a bruise in a remarkable shape....awesome!!! . . . .

'Pleased to know that both you and your possessions are safe, Gloria.

Because the safe shipment of goods concerns me greatly (I've lived in the States about as long as you did and have, perhaps, about as many things in volume and weight), I'd be very glad to read more about your process -- including recommendation of shipper and freighter, if they satisfied you -- now that you've survived to the other end.

by **MarkF** on Sun Jun 29, 2008 9:22 pm

mlightheart wrote:Yes, they see you coming and they whisper...G-L-O-R-I-A!!!

Is that a reference to the Doors?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPifW_fIih0

Mark

by **mlightheart** on Sun Jun 29, 2008 9:32 pm

No it is not. While the doors and others covered the song, the version that I remember is from the band Shadows of the Knight which took it to #10 in the top 40 back in 66. I liked that song, but only really remember parts with the spelling of the name to tell you the truth.

by **MarkF** on Sun Jun 29, 2008 9:37 pm

mlightheart wrote:No it is not. While the doors and others covered the song, the version that I remember is from the band Shadows of the Knight which took it to #10 in the top 40 back in 66. I liked that song, but only really remember the spelling of the name to tell you the truth.

Here ya go:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3deSKI-1FRY

Mark

by **Gloria** on Mon Jun 30, 2008 8:09 pm

Mlightheart, I guarantee you that they were saying more than G-L-O-R-I-A.....more like...this #%*&%*# !!! is here again!!! but it's ok, it doesn't really face me. We have deposited a good amount of dinero in Banco de Chile and now I demand service, if they won't provide us with it, we'll take our business somewhere else, as simple as that and I told them so.Trust me, I got results, in fact one of the employees told me that I was absolutely right to demand service. Today we had another experience at Banco Estado to exchange some travelers checks, it wasn't bad but the waiting was atrocious. Every time I go to the Bank I think I would rather go thru childbirth than do a transaction....it's less painful

and much faster.
RWS,Thank you for your good wishes, I would honestly be afraid to recommend any shipping company, even the one that I contracted.(And by the way, this particular company doesn't deal with personal household items, I knew the agent and he did it as a favor, I believe I mentioned this to you once before.) The problem is not so much in the States but here in Chile. They drown you in paperwork and you have to be extremely organized and detailed with your list of contents. For starters, we planned this trip so very carefully even with drawings about our packing. My betterhalf made the crates out of plywood measuring carefully following the dimensions requested by the shipper, then he screwed the crate to the pallet.(I wish I could put a picture to give an idea of what I'm talking about)These have to be made out of hardwood and treated ( fumigated) or they won't leave port if it is not done.We had to pay an extra $285 for the fumigation of 6 crates.
All the belongings have to have a dollar value and it must be presented with the list of every crate.I took the bother of writing both in english and spanish to avoid any problems.The " things to do" here in Chile is quite long and so is the paperwork. At the same time I started processing my partner's visa and it was a constant running from one place to another to have everything ready before "embarking" to a long journey to the south( 12 hour ride).Thank God that I'm fluent in spanish or else I wouldn't have been able to accomplish as much as I did in such a short time otherwise...I must also ad that I'm fierce fighter as well, I don't take a no for an answer and I question everything.Needless to say that I'm absolutely exhausted, however contented and happy....at this very moment siping a good glass of chilean wine, a delicious cheese and some great flavorful bread......awwwwww....life is good!! Glad to be back!!!!!!!

by **RWS** on Mon Jun 30, 2008 8:35 pm

Thanks, Gloria. It still sounds as nightmarish as I'd imagined; but I'm glad that you made it safely.

How did you manage to keep the import duties affordable?

by **MarkF** on Mon Jun 30, 2008 8:37 pm

Gloria wrote:These have to be made out of hardwood and treated ( fumigated) or they won't leave port if it is not done.We had to pay an extra $285 for the fumigation of 6 crates.

If a person isn't shipping something requiring crates, it's possible to use a pallet stacked with cardboard boxes, wrapped in plastic to hold it together. It seems like any shipping company would sell acceptable pallets. But, I haven't checked into that yet.

This company sells boxes and pallets (heavy-duty cardboard, plastic, certified wood) http://www.uline.com/. But, it seems like it would be expensive to ship these things to the purchaser.

I'm concerned with the headaches on the receiving side.

Mark

by **Gloria** on Mon Jun 30, 2008 9:51 pm

RWS, thanks again, please keep in mind that I'm a chilean citizen therefore I'm entitled to $5000 due to the fact that I have been out of the country for over 5 years and all the items were used.That was something that I stressed with bold letters.I didn't bring any type of household furnishing or electrical appliances, instead we brought in al sorts of tools and other items keeping the dollar amount extremely low.Whatever we were going to need for everyday living we bought it here.Why bother bringing appliances when you can find all you need here at the fraction of the cost? They are very particular about wood items and books. I was questioned about it.
Mark, if you are shipping few items by plane, by all means use heavy duty cardboard boxes and have them wrapped with plastic. We were shipping our entire lives and our cargo was precious to us therefore we took many steps to make sure nothing got wet in case of rough waters. Most of us are ignorant about shipping and there is a good possibility that our cargo by ship can go way down deck ( which will provide protection)or the container could be placed on deck were it could get a great deal of moisture.It's amazing how many stories high they are filling the ships with containers nowadays.

by **RWS** on Tue Jul 01, 2008 8:15 am

Gloria wrote:. . . . They are very particular about wood items and books. I was questioned about it. . . .

Oh, no! The bulk (at least by weight) of what I own is my library. Now, I'll have to think of a justification for having five or six thousand books, aside from being a simple bibliophile.

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Need Help In Chile? Spencer Global Consulting Chile, South America Legal, Investment, Real Estate, Relocation, Construction, and all your needs in Chile, South America Call Us:

English (56) 45 247-378 Español / Fax (56) 45 749-167

Need Help In Chile?

Spencer Global Consulting Chile, South America
Legal, Investment, Real Estate,
Relocation, Construction,
and all your needs in Chile, South America
Call Us:

English (56) 45 247-378
Español / Fax (56) 45 749-167