TAZARA Pt. 2: The "Express"

And so, after much faffing about, we board the train, ready for this 48 hour, 2000 kilometre epic train ride through the heart of Africa. We settle down in our private compartment, and we're soon introduced to our attendant, who services the first class carriages. The meal service is detailed to us. We have the choice of chicken, beef, or fish, and so we opt for a nice chicken lunch, which is pretty tasty. We would end up having for almost every other meal on the journey, completely grinding down our vegetarianism.

In the evening, we head down to the bar cart, grab some beers, and chat to a pair of Japanese travellers. One of them had been to the same hostel at Lake Bunyonyi and had ordered the infamous Pad Thai. So distressed was she by the quality of it that she went into the kitchen and taught the chefs how to cook it properly.

At random points through the night, and the following days, the train stops for extended periods. Sometimes these will be at stations, sometimes in the middle of the wilderness, for no obvious reason.

After a day and a half, in the dead of night, we reach the Zambian border. The customs guards come in and issue our visas. After that, a money changer comes in to change our money. We had tried to change in Dar Es Salaam, but nowhere dealt in Zambian Kwacha, so this guy is our only hope, and he knows it. His rate is eye-wateringly bad, so we just change the bare minimum to afford the last few train drinks and meals.

After 48 hours, the train still hasn't arrived, and we're starting to get a bit restless. Not only that, but Katie is starting to get a bit sick. Fortunately, the compartment next to us is occupied by a Zambian doctor, and she advises us to go to hospital when we arrive. Fortunately, it doesn't turn out to be anything too serious.

As the journey stretches endlessly onward, the bar starts running out of cold drinks, then we start running out of water. The taps turn off. At one point, someone starts banging on the door of our carriage's toilet, telling the occupier to stop using the water for bathing. Sure enough, we find out that someone has used all the water, which is also used to flush the squat toilet. Tempers are starting to fray.

Very early the next morning, a full 63 hours after we had left Dar Es Salaam, we reach our destination- New Kapiri Mposhi. Which is not Lusaka. We have to then split a taxi to take us the remaining 200 kilometres to Lusaka. Three hours later, after a mammoth journey across Africa, we've arrived. It's been exhausting, but an adventure in itself. We've crossed 2,000 km across this continent, and we're ready to start exploring southern Africa.Read more