As the bus was approaching the city, we were stopped at a military checkpoint. We were forced off the bus and made to line up. A military official grabbed a fistful of sand, and we watched as it sifted through his fingers. “Is this the sand from your country?” he asked. “No.” “Then you’ve got to pay to set foot on it.” Without waiting for a response, the officials began to beat the strongest person in our group, to teach the rest of us a lesson. And it worked, we paid what they asked. Meanwhile, our driver, accustomed to these extortions, had decided to leave us there so he wouldn’t fall
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