Horror Situation at the Border in Mozambique

I have traveled to 'real' Africa multiple times in the past, so I already had an idea of what to expect. 20 people in a van for 10, potholes on the roads, lack of water and hygiene, attempts to get money wherever someone can... that's the less positive side. What I didn’t expect was that the chaos would begin as soon as I stepped off the plane. In Mozambique, at the border, I felt mistreated. So much so that I cried in despair, something that has never happened to me in almost 15 years of wandering the world.

For Croats, it said that the visa can be obtained at the border for 50 USD. I had the required documents (accommodation, flight ticket, photo, etc.) and was ready to pay. When I got there, they told me it was 150 USD. 150 USD? Where did that come from? I had read about various scams, so I wasn’t sure if they were telling the truth or just trying to get a bribe.

To shorten that part, they really did charge me 150 USD, and it was clearly marked on the visa that this was the official price. They said the price had gone up. The problem was what happened between my arrival and actually crossing the border: They asked for my accommodation document.

I gave them an invitation letter from my Couchsurfing host (I said, a friend).

They didn’t accept it.

I tried to explain that I wouldn’t stay there and that I was going directly to Eswatini. They didn’t accept that either.

They wanted my friend to send a scan of their ID. At that moment, it was about 7 AM. I was not supposed to stay with him then, but I was supposed to stay when I return from Eswatini, so it was very inconvenient to contact him so early. With no other choice, I decided to do it. He immediately responded with a picture of his passport. He had hosted family and friends hundreds of times and had never had this situation. Again, they refused. Every time they rejected something or asked for a new document, they left me alone in a space where almost no one was around (I could see other officers in the distance, but I couldn’t move forward or backward... I was literally in a zone where I couldn’t cross the border, but couldn’t return to the plane either).

They came to me and said they wanted my friend to come and sign a document. Of course, that was impossible, again because of the zone I was in... and even if I asked the person from Couchsurfing to drive for an hour just to sign a document, it was ridiculous. I told them he couldn’t and that I would simply book a hotel. The officer said I couldn’t reserve one now because I hadn’t done it earlier. I asked what I should do? I received no response... Again, I was alone, terrified. Time passed, and no one gave me any information. In the meantime, I found out (not from the officers, but from other sources) that there was allegedly someone "who could help me cross the border for 50 USD." I even tried to contact this person to see what is it exactly about, but without success. I told them to deport me back, they ignored me, and once again, they went on their way. I started crying in despair, completely alone.

Apparently, a new plane had arrived, and people started coming out, and one girl noticed that I was crying. She asked what happened, I explained. She told me she couldn’t help, but if I wanted, she would pray for me. Despite not being religious, I told her she could, and I thanked her. Honestly, I expected her to go off somewhere and pray far from me. Nope. She put her hand on me and began praying loudly. When she left, I went to a completely different counter, where I was supposed to pay the 150 USD, and, crying, I told them I was pregnant (which was a lie, an I never lie, I hate any lies) and that I was feeling unwell. I started begging them to let me through because I was dizzy... they agreed... and then, the officer from earlier, who had been the main one preventing me from crossing, came back and told them she couldn’t let me through. I guess they realized I was on the absolute verge of despair and they convinced this officer to allow me to enter the country. One of the people who helped was very kind to me, even came to hug me. I left her a keychain from Split as a memento and thank you. It seems that the prayer worked.

I rushed to get out of the airport, found the first taxi through the Yango app, and demanded to be driven directly to the bus for Eswatini. While driving, I thought – Africa is the continent where I still have the most countries to visit... oh dear, if the rest are like this.

Why did I choose to embark on this adventure partly on my own again?