MUITO OBRIGADO Moz ambique!
There are certain things that can cut a trip to Mozambique short. Taking photographs of three camo-clad border guards relaxing in the shade while discussing matters of urgency such as the vagaries of crypto currencies and overly-demanding girlfriends, is one of them. I had the foresight to ask permission, and was met with a stern glare and a sideways wag of three index fingers. I must say that I was tempted, but the thought of spending time in the squalid confines of a local “cadeia” outweighed my desire to sneak a snapshot.
Let’s back up a bit, though. After a quick flight from Cape Town to Durban, I joined two other journalists at King Shaka airport. Then the three of us piled into a hired Polo Vivo and made the 460km (6-7 hour) drive north to the Ponto do Ouro border post, where we were met by the rest of the team brandishing a selection of 4x4s. After booking the Vivo into a holding pound on the South African side of the border, and a half-hour wait, I made my way to the counter. The border-post official asked the mandatory question,