or: Why It’s Important to Read All Airport Security Rules

I have been a little nervous traveling into Mauritius lately because I have been quite a few times for extended periods and I have been worried I will be turned away at the border.

It’s an irrational concern since on my passport I am allowed to stay for three months each time and up to six months in a  calendar year as a tourist. 

I have always adhered to this.

My passport also means I can get a visa on arrival.

Turns out my irrational fear is not so irrational and I could work on the immigration counter in Mauritius if I was Mauritian as my latest guy seemed to think how I thought they might.

I was given a two month visa and told I would need to go to Port Louis for an extension toward the end of that period. This is the first time this has happened. It followed quite a  few questions about my job, why I stay for so long and when I am due to fly out.

I then left the counter to go through the health check, then downstairs to collect my luggage, go through the Nothing to Declare Line to then be pulled over by a policeman before I had gone through the gate and to my Mauritian family.

He asked me if I had anything to declare. I replied that I didn’t. He asked me if I had alcohol. I said yes. He asked how much. I said one bottle (that is all you are allowed here). He asked if I was sure I didn’t have anything extra in my luggage. I replied that I didn’t. I am a travel nerd after all.

Well, at least I though tI was. 

He asked me if I had any drugs. I replied that I did not.

No prescriptions? His questions continued. My negative reply followed.

Sleeping pills? Yes, I replied.

These are illegal in Mauritius without a prescription. 

I told him I had about six with me and I take half one on the plane to help me sleep on the way here. In HK, these a prescription wasn’t needed.

They are illegal he reminded me and I can take you to the station and have you arrested.

I started to shake. Here I was in a foreign country, someone waiting for me just on the other side of the gate and I’m about to be taken to the police station. I was thinking I had no idea how to find a lawyer here, have no idea what the police station would be like, and I just wanted to be on a good bed right about now though I would like to wash my hair first.

I told him that I could give them to him to which he chose to remind me again they are illegal and I could be taken to the station and arrested.

I asked him “what happens now? What do I need to do?”.

He told me to calm down and not to worry because he was going to let me go. I continued to shake; this wasn’t reassuring enough though I did feel an element of relief. He told me to throw them all out and don’t bring them in again after he first checked with me who was waiting, my profession and how long I was staying.

I went through the gates and unfortunately my lift was a little later than planned since this process happened a lot faster than what it felt to me.

As I recounted my story, I was told that the police here often do these kind of things and it was best just to remain relaxed and ask questions as needed but also to defend myself if I think something doesn’t sound quite right. Apparently this could have been one of those instances.

So, not the best welcome I’ve had to this beautiful country.

I normally read all the information about what I have to declare and not and don’t remember seeing anything mentioning sleeping pills. These will not be traveling wth me in the future and I will be researching this further for any other country I am traveling to.

Today I was in the water and first greeted by a massive turtle on descent. We saw four turtles on this dive including one I spotted by swimming over it. It’s unusual for a turtle to not be scared by this as it is the behavior of a predator. It chose to remain and I could show others in our group where it was.

Second dive was at my favorite shallow water site and I was able to lead it. We found many moray eels and a lot of baby fish in various species (multiple parrot fish, snappers, sweet lips, wrasse and the tiny baby three spot dascyllus and baby Nemos – these are particularly cute).

The underwater world welcomed me back well. 

They are not so concerned with paperwork.

 

 

* Thanks to  Red Hot Chilli Peppers for the title to this post.