The Tazara Train

Happy Tuesday everyone. Mike and I just got into Dar es Salaam, Tanzania after a 30-hour delay in Kapiri Mposhi and a 58-hour train ride.

We got to Kapiri Mposhi (200 km north of Lusaka) Friday afternoon reading for the 2 pm departure. At the train station, however, we learned about a derailment of a cargo train on the Tanzanian side. So, we were delayed until they could clear it up and repair the tracks. We found a cheap guesthouse in this tiny little train town and just hung out for a day and a half. We met all the other white people on the train, similarly stranded. Mike, Caitlin, Sean, Matt, Eric and Adam (plus Michael and I) made for a very conspicuous group. We saw the nightlife and ate a lot of good nshima.

Finally Saturday night at 8 pm, the train left and we were glad to be out of Kapiri Mposhi. The train takes 48 hours hypothetically speaking, but we were on the "standard train" and not the "express" so we made a lot of stops. We ended up getting into Dar es Salaam at 7 am Tuesday morning, but more time on the train was not a cause for complaints.

The train wasn't too crowded, at least in first and second class. Plus we got a wicked 50% student discount on the tickets. I seriously recommend this as a very nice, relaxing way to travel. We mostly hung out in the lounge (i.e. bar) between 1st and 2nd. I had my own compartment to myself in 2nd class (until Monday night) because they have gendered cabins. 2nd class was pretty empty anyway, so I had a 6-berth cabin to relax in. Mike and Sean were next door and everyone else was in 1st class.

We had good, cheap chicken nshima and the restaurant staff brought it to wherever we were sitting when meal times hit. I also brought lots of bread and peanut butter to sustain us. The train was pretty clean and it was nice to be able to walk around during the journey.

We didn't really see any wildlife but the landscape was beautiful. Savanna gave way to mountains, forests and rivers when we crossed into Tanzania. Anyway, long story short, we made it to Dar es Salaam safely and the train was an enjoyable, albeit slow, way to travel. We are hoping to see Dar for a few days and then head to the legendary Zanzibar!
Hope everyone is well wherever you are.
Peace!