Around 10.00 hrs, we stopped at a station named Chozi, where the women were busy both buying and selling at market.
At every station the children ran up to the train and looked at us with interest.
Whatever my misgivings about the Tazara, I felt that I was getting a much more authentic view of Africa than when we were on Rovos Rail. While on Rovos Rail no one came selling their wares to us on station platforms nor had we any interaction with the people. For example, at a station stop on the Tazara, one young teenager mockingly asked me, in his best British accent, if I had any golf balls? He sounded as if he had a golf ball in his mouth! I replied in my best ' golf ball in mouth' British accent that I had not. As he had heard me speak earlier, he knew that I was 'sending him up' and he laughed!
No one at home?
My fellow Geographers, to see the red, red soils of the Tropics was indeed a delight. Slash and burn appears to be practised here - even beside the railway line and particularly in the mountain sides.
The landscape is woodland interspersed with cultivated field using artificial water in the form of sprinklers and intense market gardening.
As we approach the Tanzanian border, the towns appear to become larger and more prosperous but one continues to see small settlements sheltered among the trees.
At 15. 23 we crossed from Zambia into Tanzania at Tunduma.
Unlike their Zambian counterparts, the immigration offices were uniformed and not as friendly. They demanded US $100 from each of us for a visa . I replied that I thought it was $50. At that point, three officers arrived in the cabin and many phone calls later, $50 each was acceptable.! I gave him $50 in $1 notes. He was not amused. He left and returned to say the auditor general would not be pleased as $1 notes were of less value.! ( when visiting East Africa bring $100 and $50 dollar notes as lesser ones yield only c. 2/3 of the over $50 dollar rate - as for the € forget it - though the dollar is c.1.14 to the €, here in East Africa, its rate is less than the dollar! ) I told him that I hadn't any more dollars and he left again. It seemed an age before our passports were finally returned.
Later, I asked Won how she got on? She said that she gave them a $50 note and they stamped her passport. She later told me that her guide book said that all nationalities were $50 EXCEPT USA and IRELAND?. When I checked my guide I was amazed to discover similar information! DFA take note. This annoys me in that as far as I recall Tanzania is part of our bi - lateral aid programme. We have been giving development aid to this country for years!! This Visa processing delayed our journey by at least 11/2 hrs....
The day ended with dinner and a glass of wine!
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