The train trip begins.
(We have written our travel blog for every day on the 4-day Rovos Rail train ride but were unable to send them due to lack of WiFi. So as we pull into the Pretoria station here they come all at once):
You know a new adventure is around the corner when you read: “Please place your bags outside your room by 9:45 am.”
Turns out that was plenty of time. I had packed an empty duffle bug to carry the leftovers: souvenirs, laundry, etc.
Breakfast was at 7:00 am,. Loved the fresh mango juice. Our group was straggling in for our final breakfast together so we had a chance to say final goodbyes to some.
Twelve of the original 28 tour members are boarding the Rovos Rail train for the four day trip to Pretoria, South Africa. The others are on their way to Kruger Park in South Africa, Treetops Resort suites in Tanzania, or home.
Wanted to show the “Tree of Life” of “Lion King” fame that backdropped our dinner last night:
Zimbabwe has adopted the US dollar as its official currency so I wanted a genuine Zimbabwean dollar bill before they’re all gone. They found a $10 Zimbabwe bill and told I could pay anything for it. So I paid $5 only to discover later was worth .03 US.
Following a guided tour of neighborhoods tourists rarely visit we had lunch at a wonderful restaurant called “The Overlook” , so named because of its great view of the Victoria Falls gorge.
It had its own version of a mister to cool the open air room.
On the streets some kids were selling outdated Zimbabwean currency so I bought a 50 million Zimbabwe bill for $1.00.
The country’s Amarula liquore is made from a tree, the Marula Tree (Sclerocarya birrea). I passed a liquor store that sold it and bought a bottle. Now if it just doesn’t break in the suitcase traveling home.
Our tour guide told us that in Zimbabwe it is lawful to have a village wife and work wife. Or a “side salad” wife if you do decide to have a wife but choose not to pay the bride’s price to her family.
She also said men and boys do not touch bras or women’s undergarments on the clothes line.
At 3:30 we checked in for the Rovos Rail 4-day ride and were shuffled to a hotel lounge be to listen to an orientation talk.
At least it was well stocked….
Outside the meeting room was a loaded mango tree:
Following a talk by the train manager Darren Merwe…
…we boarded about 5:30 pm.
We are in car 3199, Stateroom named Tuli. Two cars away are two dining cars followed by a lounge car. Several cars in the other direction are the observation car and another lounge car. The staterooms are cramped at 109 square feet, but nicely furnished and air conditioned. The walking aisles outside our room are sweltering hot. There is no WiFi.
We were forewarned that train tracks in Zimbabwe, over which we now travel south, are not well maintained . And we are witnesses to that statement. It had been difficult to keep our balance so we sat much of the time. Showering proved a real challenge while the train is moving.
As the gong sounded dinner was being served we quickly dressed in the required business or formal attire and walked two cars to the dining car.
Dinner was quite good. Cape Marlay samosa, rack of lamb, Kilimanjaro cheese with apricot and thyme jelly and finished with a chocolate pot de crème with berries.
Tomorrow’s game drive begins with a 5 am wake up call, breakfast until 6 am when we disembark to hop on the 4 x4 safari vehicles. We should be back on the train by 10:30 .
Our South African Adventure 