We are used to having any copies we make certified, usually at a police station and sometimes the post office. If it isn't duly stamped, whatever paper it is invalid (we found this out with our work papers). It's a bit of a hassle, but it's worth doing for important things like drivers' license, passports, car registration.
We had all of these certified back in Botswana, but found out when we arrived here that the Botswana stamp is not valid, so everything must be stamped in Mozambique. Since the traffic police have the reputation of taking licenses and not giving them back until a bribe has been paid, we wanted to make sure we had copies before leaving Maputo.
We were directed to a notary, an office not much bigger than a closet with about three dozen people in there. We handed them our copies and originals, and a half hour later they called out our name to hand them back. Given the sauna conditions, I think I lost about five pounds of water in sweat.
We will leave early tomorrow morning and head up the coast. Because there are numerous speed traps, we will only be going 60 kilometers an hour. With 300 kilometers to our first stop, it will be a long day but I am aching to get on the beach.
No comments:
Post a Comment