Blogs :: The Mozambican Visa Expedition: Part 1

The Mozambican Visa Expedition: Part 1

Probably the most difficult (logistically) trip I have ever had to arrange was a seemingly simple one: to get from Durban, South Africa to Maputo, Mozambique. LP says there’s a direct bus. Nice, considering I didn’t want to go through Joburg.

So I call the company that’s supposed to run the route. “This number has been disconnected.” Hrm. Three other numbers produce a similar result. Another connects…to Standard Bank. Well, best to just go to the office then at the bus station. I catch a ride in to town, and soon find the office. Or rather, the empty building where the office used to be. In the window is a sign stating the obvious: They don’t operate in Durban any more. There is also a piece of paper in the window, listing prices for the trip effective July. It’s the end of July. So it seems this was a recent liquidation of the Durban branch. Damn luck.

After a couple days of research, I finally came to realize there were no direct buses, taxis, or friends-of-friends-of-friends-headed-that-way. Alrighty then. Greyhound South Africa (which unlike Greyhound USA is actually quite good) has a night bus from Durban and then a connecting bus from Joburg to Maputo in the morning a couple hours after you arrive. Less time in Joburg bus station = Good. It’s a longer trip overall, but still easier than the mess Brendon went through.

But wait, there’s a catch. You have to obtain a visa beforehand instead of at the border. This is a new concept to me, but whatever, a bit of research online and I find there’s a Mozambican consulate in Durban. Armed with an address, directions, and instructions, I hopped in a minibus taxi to town.

The taxi drops me off not where expected. I wander a seven block radius for approximately an hour, getting mixed directions from I don’t know how many people on the street. By the time I set foot in the building, I had unknowingly walked back and forth past the entrance four times. Grr.

The address listed everywhere on the internet is 5th floor, Room 520. I find it without too much trouble. However, Room 520 is now a driving school office. I ask if they know where the consulate is, to which the response is “What?”. I wander the floor above and two bellow, hoping to stumble on it. I don’t. I do however end up wandering the halls of several completely deserted floors that seem to belong in a post-apocalyptic movie. Luckily, there are no zombies to be found.

Descending to the bottom floor I find an empty information center. My years of reading Sherlock Holmes pays off and through sound deductive reasoning, the thick coat of dust covering the desk, and lack of anything “informative” I conclude it’s been empty for a good while. I make a last ditch effort and call the number I have for the embassy, which I had called a dozen times earlier and only rang endlessly. By some stroke of luck, I get an answer. I ask where they are. It’s the same building. Yes, I know, what floor? The thick accent is difficult to understand. It sounds like…27th? I thank him and proceed to the elevator, which has buttons from 1-15. Ok, maybe he said 7th? More empty offices. Ok, 11th? Nope.

After walking ten floors in vain, I call again, lightning strikes twice, and they answer again. Different guy, more difficult accent. I swear he’s saying 27th. WTF? Wandering the ground floor behind a corner here and around a bend there, I somehow find another elevator, 16-30. Score!

Listed Location: 5th floor, Room 520
Actual Location: 27th floor, Room 2719.
Time to find the office: 2.5 hours
Time to actually get visa: 5 minutes