Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/11/20

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Subject: [Leica] China
From: "Gareth Jolly" <garethjolly@bigpond.com>
Date: Sat, 20 Nov 1999 20:40:05 +1100

Skip wrote

>Leaving for China on medical transport via Cathay Pacific and just
wondering
>about taking M6 with me.  Will I have problems in and out of customs?  Any
>safety precautions or advice is greatly appreciated.


I went to China a month ago and intend posting a short travelogue soon, with
some links to pictures (once I've developed all the rolls).

Not much I can add to what has been said except that:

1. I had no difficulty in getting hand inspections of film at any airport in
China (and I went to about 6) - nothwithstanding the language barrier.  If
questioned, I just said 'Special film'.  I carried the film in a plastic
bag, without cannisters, in a lead bag.  The plastic bag and removal of
cannisters was to make inspection easy.  The lead bag was just in case I had
to send to film through the x ray.

2.  I generally found the main cities of China to be fairly safe - with the
exception of a dodgy area in Xian - and I went through some quite poor
areas, M6 in hand.  Normal precautions apply though and I suppose I might
just have been lucky in who I encountered.

3.  Insurance for my M6 cost a fortune and I found an exclusion of liability
in the policy if I failed to lock it in a hotel safe.  Worth checking your
policy

Regards
Gareth Jolly