Anyone Looking To Ship A Motorcycle From Russia To Chile In October?

Trip planning is in full swing and we have run up against our first full snag: shipping the bikes from Vladivostok to Valparaiso.  When Patrick shipped his bike from Korea to Chile he paid just under 500 US for the bike.  We were hoping around 800 per bike either by air or by ship from Russia.  The quote came back, we can not ship per bike, we need to rent an entire container.  For close on to $5000 (we were quoted 4, 500 but that does not include harbor fees in Chile,  so we are thinking in the end it will be more like 5,000).  The thing is a container fits up to 8 bikes.  We are 3 bikes.  That means 5 more could fit and that would bring the costs down dramatically (although cheap it will not be).  So if you know anyone with plans to try and get a bike out of Russia in October in the direction of South America, pass on our address!

Patrick In Mongolia:

But that also means it is crunch time.  We have 4 months (more or less to the day) before we head off on our world trip.  (The date is flexible, Patrick wants to leave the 25th or 26th of May.  This is when the house in  Tuscany becomes available and the rest of his family head to Italy for 2 weeks of vacation.  I am torn between this is much better than working, and that 4 extra days of work brings in enough money to finance half a month on the road). But then life is short, and this was really hammered home last week when I lost my Aunt Liz to cancer. There is one good thing that comes out of the grief of a loss, it really brings home just what, and who, is important. 4 days of work is very little in the grand scheme of things, and Patrick's family have become mine.  In the end what will I gain from those 4 days working versus the memories of the 4 extra days in Italy with family?