Day 11. Tue 1st October
Ujiji
Today we take a taxi to visit nearby Ujiji, one of the oldest towns in
Tanzania, and the place where Dr. David Livingstone, his provisions stolen
and deserted by most of his retinue, was found in the nick of time by the
New York journalist Henry Morton Stanley, who uttered the immortal words
"Dr. Livingstone I presume".
As well as a monument on the spot where Livingstone and Stanley are believed
to have met there is also a museum containing life-sized papier mache figures
of the two explorers . . .
. . . and in the immortal words of Michael Palin "that's about all there
is in the museum at Ujiji"!
After the museum we drive down to the lakeside, where there is a thriving
boat building industry. All along the beach are boats in various stages
of repair.
As usual Ken knows many of them, and we are invited aboard.
Elsewhere fishermen mend nets or relax over a game of Bao.
We return to Kigoma, and the taxi drops us in town where we look around
the market and buy water and snacks in preparation for the train journey.
I discover Kate and Sue in an Internet Cafe and between us we manage to
send e-mails home. I also buy an ornamental axe off one of the ubiquitous
curio vendors. (he asks 13000 TS, I get him down to $10, about half).
The train leaves at 5:30, and Ken gets us to the station in good time and,
mindful of the risks of thieves and pickpockets, particularly to rich white
tourists, whisks us and our luggage through the station and onto the train
as quickly as possible. It turns out that the problem with the booking
has been solved by the simple expedient of taking a first class carriage
off another train and sticking it on ours. What happened to the first class
passengers booked on the other train we will never know.
The carriage has six two-berth compartments and we have it more or less
to ourselves, except for a rail official in compartment F. We have to rearrange
the sleeping arrangements slightly so Ken shares with Nathan and Amanada
with Chris. Each compartment contains two bunks and a little washbasin.
We also have exclusive use of three loos, which are no more than a hole
in the bottom of the train and a flusher (Ken informs us that the flusher
is an added luxury since he last travelled) but they are clean.
Chris and Amanda discover that there are no safety straps on their
top bunk, but the guy in F kindly offeres to swap for the night, which
turns out to be just as well.
Dinner is the usual fish or chicken with rice. Andy and I have fish,
which is served with just a spoon to eat it with, a little tricky but very
tasty.
As usual Ken causes mayhem in the corridor by refusing to let passengers
pass, and then complaining to the ticket inspector that his tickets are
nice and new and he doesn't want them spoiled by having holes punched in
them. His tendency to play these jokes on complete strangers bothered us
at first, but it becomes obvious that the Africans are very laid back and
have a great sense of humour, and these japes are invariably met with a
huge toothy grin and a great belly laugh. We discuss amongst ourselves
how he would get on if he ever visited England!
The train stops often, and every station is packed with the usual mix
of passengers, traders, beggars and opportunistic thieves who will nip
in through the window and pinch our valuables in a trice if we don't keep
the windows closed. Unfortunately this does mean leaving them closed all
night. Each station seems to have its own particular speciality tade good
- the first is bananas, the second sugar cane, etc. Children clamour for
cash or empty bottles. We do not give anything away, but Ken trades a plastic
bottle for a piece of sugar cane, which we share out and chew.
We are due to arrive in Dodoma around 18:00 tomorrow evening, although
Ken says the train has never arrived on time yet. This is the train that
recently rolled backwards and crashed killing over a hundred passengers
when the driver stopped on a hill and got out without putting the brakes
on!
We do not expect to sleep much so Ken, Amanda, Nathan and I stay up
and finish off the remains of the Kasama scotch.