Journey
Hi everyone, hope you're all having a lazy Sunday, I didn't post a blog yesterday because I was out running. The wather was a bit grey and raining and the park was virtually empty, so for the first time I went round there unchallenged, not one person yelled out to me. What a refreshing change!
There used to be a train that went from my home town of Bulawayo to Victoria Falls, it was like an old fashioned steam train and at one point lots of tourists used to go on it because it was very safe. I went on it a few times, it would leave Bulawayo in the early evening and travel all through the night. We would get in a first class carriage, because there were little bunk beds inside and a wash basin etc. The conductor would come round with the bedding and it was all very colonial. There was always such an air of excitement when the train departed and chugged slowly out of Bulawayo, it used to go on a route through the high density suburbs, which were areas where we had hardly ever seen in our lives. It was fascinating to watch the hustle and bustle of people trying to get home from work.
As the sun set we moved further away from town and the scenery would give way to the darkness of the African night. We used to stumble down the swaying carriages to the dining cars, where they still had china plates and sterling silver cutlery and fill our stomachs before retiring back to our carriage. Eventually the rhythm of the train would hypnotise us into going to sleep. Every now and again the train would stop in the middle of nowhere at these tiny stations, places with names we had never heard of. All of a sudden the darkness of the bush would come to life as people emerged out of nowhere, passengers and people selling snacks and all manner of things. There would be a few minutes of chaos as people embarked and disembarked and then we were on our way again, swallowed into the blackness.
Dawn was always beautiful, the view of the open savanna coming to life, so vast and unspoilt.
The conductors would come round with steaming mugs of tea to help us wake up. At about 7am we arrived at our destination, welcomed by tropical palm trees and the ever present roar of Mosi-Oa-Tunya ( The smoke that thunders). I always thought that it was a much better way to arrive, compared to driving or flying even, it was always such an exciting journey.
I think the train still runs, but it's not like it used to be, mainly because of the political situation frightening all the tourists away. It also became quite dangerous to travel as robberies and beatings became common. So I was lucky to experience it all when I did.
There used to be a train that went from my home town of Bulawayo to Victoria Falls, it was like an old fashioned steam train and at one point lots of tourists used to go on it because it was very safe. I went on it a few times, it would leave Bulawayo in the early evening and travel all through the night. We would get in a first class carriage, because there were little bunk beds inside and a wash basin etc. The conductor would come round with the bedding and it was all very colonial. There was always such an air of excitement when the train departed and chugged slowly out of Bulawayo, it used to go on a route through the high density suburbs, which were areas where we had hardly ever seen in our lives. It was fascinating to watch the hustle and bustle of people trying to get home from work.
As the sun set we moved further away from town and the scenery would give way to the darkness of the African night. We used to stumble down the swaying carriages to the dining cars, where they still had china plates and sterling silver cutlery and fill our stomachs before retiring back to our carriage. Eventually the rhythm of the train would hypnotise us into going to sleep. Every now and again the train would stop in the middle of nowhere at these tiny stations, places with names we had never heard of. All of a sudden the darkness of the bush would come to life as people emerged out of nowhere, passengers and people selling snacks and all manner of things. There would be a few minutes of chaos as people embarked and disembarked and then we were on our way again, swallowed into the blackness.
Dawn was always beautiful, the view of the open savanna coming to life, so vast and unspoilt.
The conductors would come round with steaming mugs of tea to help us wake up. At about 7am we arrived at our destination, welcomed by tropical palm trees and the ever present roar of Mosi-Oa-Tunya ( The smoke that thunders). I always thought that it was a much better way to arrive, compared to driving or flying even, it was always such an exciting journey.
I think the train still runs, but it's not like it used to be, mainly because of the political situation frightening all the tourists away. It also became quite dangerous to travel as robberies and beatings became common. So I was lucky to experience it all when I did.
posted by susi at 11:08 am
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