High finance - don't pay with dollars older than 2009

When Walter went to settle the bill for our last 3 days' accommodation, bar and restaurant (we had pre-paid the first 3 nights, thinking we may travel further afield after that) we discovered that they don't accept dollars printed before 2009. This was high finance for me, requiring multiple exchange rates (from metacais into dollars at 26:1) and then some negotiation, on Walter's part for them to take the 2 notes printed in 2006. Walter is an extraordinary negotiator, though, exhibiting no impatience and slowly wearing down his opponent with logic and reasonable argument.

Not my dollars, unfortunately, image courtesy of Google images. You have to search for the year of printing, and the manager told us the owner would subtract the amount from his salary should he accept the 2001 bill.

They were firm on the note from 2001, however, which saw us scratching through wallets for rands to pay the outstanding amount (and more high finance exchanging dollars into rands). No, they don't take credit cards (that was on the website, why not the dollars?)

Apparently this is quite common in Africa, although it was news to me. Now you know too.

Of course this meant we didn't have enough cash to buy petrol in Xai-Xai and would have to draw money, which we did. Also important - the banks in Xai-Xai don't have Maestro ATMs so you can't draw from your debit card. The Xai-Xai FNB did take my VISA card, however, so we could draw enough for petrol, snacks and the toll fees. 

That would have been fine and dandy, apart from the traffic fine.

Day 2...

Our plan was to get to the Lebombo border post at 6am so that we had plenty of time to navigate the border and find our way to Xai-Xai. We arrived just after 7 (naturally), got into the queue and ate our packed breakfasts from the B&B. In theory it’s quite simple; the big trucks keep to the left hand lane and the passenger cars to the right. This does not allow, however, for the taxis – which drive in the oncoming lane and push in at the front, causing me to use some choice language and fantasise about mounting a missile system on the Jimny. Walter fended off the entrepreneurial street vendors, trying to sell us yellow jackets (required) warning triangles (required) Vodacom SIM cards “that work in Mozambique” and a whole assortment of goodies from their shopping trolleys which they wheel from car to car, doing a thriving business from what I could see. The B&B owners had told us of 18-hour queues over Easter and Christmas, so I was pleased we were going outside the holiday period. Tip: Apparently the Swaziland crossing into Mozambique is a better option during holidays.

Lebombo border. Don't take pictures.


 Just outside the fence is a whole community catering to the needs of travellers, with plastic-covered “stores” fronted by 40 gallon half drums filled with coals. It is here the travellers can buy tea and food, although I certainly didn’t stop to look (taxis would have pushed in, for sure) A few scrawny chickens peck through the litter and the area would only be improved by the addition of some large refuse bins. As it is the rubbish is merely thrown into a small gulley at the end.