TAZARA…aka Tanzanian Zambian Railways

Destination: Dar es Salaam

Origin: Kapiri Mposhi………errr, where? Say that again.

Transportation: A gift from the Chinese in the heady days of worldwide brotherly socialism and communism of the 70's, TAZARA. Never since has it been invested in. (Send over the trams from Porto!)

Journey time was officially, from 16h00 Tuesday to arrive Dar es Salaam at 12h00 Thursday. Unofficially and realistically, it goes when it goes, and gets there when it gets there!But be here for the 16h00. Just in case!

Pre TAZARA in Lusaka….That morning in Lusaka, we arrived at 0800 for a bus heading past Kapiri Mposhi three hours away. A white face and a backpack instantly makes you into a tout magnet. Especially at a bus station! Even more so at Lusaka's!

We instantly had about 10 new friends wanting us to go on their bus for a special price and get us there quick quick. The former was dependent upon destination and the later I was completely convinced.They would happily take our bags for us and relieve us of oh so heavy burdens! What very helpful sharks they were, but nothing leaves our sight. Thanks all the same.

A destination determined, a bus procured and a price negotiated and it was just a matter of half and hour before the promised departure time. Once we had parted with our money, we were bereft of our new friends. Shallow b******s!

Three and a half hours, numerous cups of bus station tea, one priest's fire and brimstone sermon on the sins of lying and false testimony to the passengers and not the toutsand plenty of investigation into when this bus was ACTUALLY going to leave later, we departed for the fabled Kapiri. Hallejuiah! Praise be!

Kapiri Mposhi - a terminal in the middle of nowhere

Zambia's copper mines are booming again. And back in private hands generating a profit. The best way to ship the ore across the country is on the railways. And hence they work like a dream. Nothing must stand in the way of profit! What a pleasure! Sadly though, TAZARA is not part of the copper railway network. It is completely isolated and run by a corrupt quasi-government department.

We got in to the terminal at 15h30. Plenty of time before 16h00. Shoo! 2nd class passengers could sit in their lounge and relax before their journey. Huh! In reality, a mezzanine level with the smelly counch or two that had definitely been broken in. African rural bliss.

It transpired that because of unforeseen circumstances(I thought that ensuring the diesel engines had enough fuelto complete a journey was completely foreseeable) there would be a delay. Hmmm. A little bit of investigation and suggestion found out that it was only likely to leave at 22h00. At least, we had a time to aim for and the roadside shebeen on the other side of the parking area have beers and some food. Thank goodness they had the Euro 2008 footie on, otherwise the resident madman would have stopped dancing in front of the TV and become our newest friend!Never try to catch the eye of the village loonie, you never know what madness may be unleashed. The locals watching the footie merely watched through him. Good plan!

In true African time, 2200 came and went and still no train. At 2300, all the passengers were slumped over their gear and sleeping. And the train officials were also staring up and down the lines stretching into the African darkness, wondering where was this train? What more could we all do, but wait?

Eventually a train arrived and we got on. What time it left who knows. Only 54hrs and plenty of nshima, sandwiches, sublime views of rural Africa and lots of time spent with Linda, Lucy and Ellie later, we got in Dar es Salaam on Friday morning! Bring on Zanzibar!