World Zambia Kabwe

The Champagne Backpacker The Champagne Backpacker: Michael's Round the World Trip 2005-2007-- The Adventure of a Lifetime

43 Hour Train Ride From Dar es Salaam to Kapiri Mposhi, Zambia Nov 23, 2005

Wednesday, November 23, 2005. Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Fred, Charles, and I arrived at the Tazara train station at 9:00 a.m. for our scheduled departure at 11:00 a.m. I was told we needed to be at the station two hours prior to departure. The train did not depart until 1:30 p.m. All the mzungus were on the same sleeper train (four beds to a cabin). Melissa (Canada), Niamh, and Malachy (Ireland) shared the first cabin, followed by Fred and Charles. My cabin was toward the back of the train. My cabin mate for the journey was Ben, a Zambian accountant working in Dar for the Tazara train line. We had the cabin to ourselves for the entire journey. Based on the old signs in Chinese, the train was probably a refurbished train from China. One of the many highlights of the train ride was the ride through the Selous Game Reserve, the second largest protected natural area in the world. From our windows, we observed, among other animals, elephants, giraffes, and wildebeest. Another highlight was whenever the train stopped. Adults and children would run from the nearby villages to greet the train. Many were selling food including potatoes, chicken, breads, fruits, and drinks. It seemed like for some villages, the arrival of the train was the event of the day. At one stop, Ben bought five big bags of potatoes for about one dollar each. The train ride took 43 hours (two nights). Meals were preordered and brought to our cabins. Dinner was beef stew, fried chicken, or fish served with rice and steamed vegetables. In between meals, we talked, napped, or watched the scenery go by. The novelty of the train ride for me wore off after the first night. During the night, I woke up every hour or so due to the very bumpy and jerky ride. It was quite warm when I went to bed, but got very cool in the morning. Overall, the ride was nevertheless relatively comfortable and clean (except for the small roaches—during the night, one visited Melissa's chest). Thursday, November 24, 2005. Happy Thanksgiving, Zambia. We arrived at the border towns of Tunduma, Tanzania, and Nakonde, Zambia at 3:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m., respectively. This was the first time change since beginning my travels in Turkey this past July. The time did change in late October in the Middle East due to the end of daylight savings time, but the African countries I visited do not observe daylight savings time. According to Lonely Planet, Australian citizens do not require a visa to Zambia. This was my first opportunity to use my Australian passport. When the immigration official came into my compartment, he flipped through my Australian passport, but didn't find an exit stamp from Tanzania (which was on my American passport). As it turns out, Australians now require a visa. I handed over my American passport and paid the US$25 visa. Later I would learn that the immigration official apparently made a mistake and should have charged me US$100 for the visa, since this is the amount Zambians are charged for American visas. In the evening, I shared my Thanksgiving dinner (beef stew) with Fred and Charles in their compartment.

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