To Bulawayo: on the overnight train

October 27, 2015

"Open up, Police" finally the person banging on our compartment door says in English. We have been on the National Railways of Zimbabwe overnight train since 7pm yesterday. It's 6am when we were awakened with the persistent banging and shouting in a language we didn't understand. Patrick opens the door with the chain lock still in place. "May I see some identification" Patrick says. They are checking for smuggling and searching other cabins not just us.

Patrick opens the door, the policeman who has shown an ID card from his wallet, sits on the bed. He asks if we have any creams, and wants to see it. "It's for personal use, no not to sell." Patrick says. Then we are asked if we have any medication. We show him our larium pills and the small first aid kit. Finally satisfied he and the two others watching leave.

Patrick bought our first class tickets including a two person compartment very early yesterday. We checked out of the room at the hostel at ten leaving our bikes by the guard. We walked to town and around the souvenir shops. Behind the newer shopping center "Elephant Walk" are the old souvenir stalls that we remember from 1994. As we walk through, all are polite, "come into my shop". They all notice what has caught our interest as we walk down the row, each point out the wooden bowls, the wood carvings or whatever they happened to notice where your eyes looked. These are desperate times for the people of Zimbabwe and it's sad to say "no thank you, just looking".

At 5pm, we make our way to the train station. There is paperwork to be done for the bikes even though the train is not at the station yet. At 6, the train pulls up, and Patrick takes the bikes to be loaded in the luggage compartment. We hand our 8 pannier bags and 3 dry bags up through the window of the compartment.

The train leaves ON TIME. Are we still in Africa? We find out that the sheets to the beds are no longer provided so we use our sheets. It's a restless sleep, but nice to have the privacy and safety for all our gear contained in the room. We are awakened just on the edge of Hwange National Park and see a safari vehicle and elephants. We had gone to this park before. During the rest of the ride to Bulawayo, the landscape doesn't change much. Sometimes greener, sometimes drier. We arrive in Bulawayo just after noontime.

Patrick has sent a message to Jake and Nancy, friends of a Facebook Friend Alan, that we are on our way. They have welcomed us into their home. Originally from Pennsylvania and Iowa, they have been missionaries in Africa for most of their adult lives. Tomorrow, we will go with Jake to the mission associated with their church.

Shoestrings Backpackers in Victoria Falls. Probably one of the better budget places to stay, but Zimbabwe is proving to be considerably more expensive than Zambia.

The train between Bulawayo and Victoria Falls runs every night in both directions. 21 years ago we took this same ride to get here, now we return to Bulawayo. The carriages are showing their age.

Inside our first class sleeper cabin. As of two weeks ago, sheets are no longer provide, no worries, we have our own.

We leave at 7:00 pm, just as the full moon rises over the station.

Early next morning, it took all night to travel about 250km and we are passing through Hwange National Park.

The bikes are off-loaded from the luggage compartment, we load up and ride out the train station.

Today's ride: 8 km (5 miles)
Total: 8,414 km (5,225 miles)

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