immigration

Not again is all I can say…we were warned when we left the country that we would have problems coming back in because this was not the proper way of extending our visas. However, this was what we were instructed to do in Lilongwe but since we had no proof of that (who takes a tape recorder when going to talk to immigration?) it was our fault. When we asked what we could do to avoid trouble he shook his head and then said to come back through either Thursday morning or Friday afternoon. We couldn’t tell if we would be better doing that and dealing with him or avoiding that and taking our chances with someone else…we opted for doing it his way and hoping that his “power” of getting us back when he said would help us through.

We arrived back at the border (after a dodgy taxi ride of too many people in the car and getting stopped by the police, paying a “fine” for “impounding” the taxi and then letting us drive off with the same number of passengers) Friday afternoon. He looks at our passports and says again that we’re going to have problems. “What did I tell you when you left?” “That we’d have problems” and mom added “and that you’d help.” Our conversation went in circles for at least 10 minutes. We were evidently supposed to apply for temporary employment permits from the government which would be good for 6 months, not just leave the country to get our free 30 days again. He then invited us around the back to enter the office (possibly the time to pay him off?) and so we went and sat in the chairs, had the same conversation again and then he finally stamped our passports, told us not to do it again or he would kick us back to Zambia, and let us go on our merry way. Aahh it was nice to be in Malawi again. (and really it did feel nice to be back in Malawi, comfortable and like we knew what we were doing)