Really cold during the night as we’re at altitude and in need of a blanket. Wus.
Full day on the train travelling through Zambia. Clickety clack. Clickety clack. As we trundle along. Very. Slowwwlllyyy. Arrived at the border early. 6hrs ahead of schedule apparently. Ahead of schedule…..in Africa?!?! Crikey. Consequence is that we have border formalities at Nakonde over breakfast. Passports are handed in for processing en masse by someone else. None of this queuing malarky at a grotty border post. Oh no. All very civilised.
Zambian flag at half mast as a Government Minister has died. Can’t imagine that happening in the UK. The bunting would be out for certain ministers.
Quick walk onto the station grounds and see a British registered Volvo in the car park.
Lazy day catching up on diary and looking out of the window. Plenty of trees along the brown landscape. Occasional splash of green from an acacia tree – its roots go deeper to find water.
Afternoon Tea is served and told this is not Rovos Rail or the Blue Train and don’t have to dress up unlike some British travellers the other week who wore jackets and ties for the occasion. Stiff upper lip and all that. Excellent scones.
Having left the smiling, happy faces and waving children of Tanzania behind we now find feral children who are a bit vicious. Stones are thrown at the train as we stop at Makasa station in the evening. Begging for food and money. Spend a couple of hours at Makasa filling up each carriage’s water tank from a single small bore stand pipe and waiting for signals. Children quite noisy and running under the train being pests.
Discuss over dinner the fact that we’re sitting here in plush (it’s all relative) surroundings eating a 4 course meal being watched by hundreds of locals who seemingly have nothing in life. Makes you think.
