Completing Stanleys route

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Firstly I start this blog with an Obiturary...of sorts. Today marks the end of whatever relationship Tati and myself still had; in retrospect giving the girl the address of the travelblog on which I detail my conquests and attempted conquests wasn't a great idea. Annoyingly Tati's defection from my list of subscribers has also cut my number of female subsribers in half...which is a blessing in disguise as I believe it is that particular sex which would find more sympathy with Tati, and far more fault with my actions. This is a hint that I expect messages expressing sympathy and bewilderment, at Tati thinking I have done any wrong, from my male readers lol
Anyway on with the story. After seeing Anne off, my train stood at Tabora well passed the 9am departure time I was quoted; it stood there until 12-30....ironically I would have had enough time to see Anne off on her bus and then walk back, and I still would have been there before it left..but never mind, as Hayley, Tom, and Alice kept telling me TIA (from the movie 'Blood Diamond apparently) - This is Africa....which I don't think competes with only two of these, and there were literally 500 passengers lol
my (and Tati, but preceeding legal activity I am claiming ownership) 'Smile, it's Africa'. We finally got away 3 1/2 hours late, not that it mattered much to me as moving or not moving I passed the minutes by reading my 'Lost Lion of Empire Book' (which I have finished) and sleeping. I chatted briefy, on numerous occasions, with the 5 other occupants of my 2nd Class Compartment...although their English was as poor as my Swahili we soon became good friends lol; the most memorable conversation was during an examination of my phone, one of the guys proclaimed 'Show me porn'....'Excuse me?' I said....'Show me pictures of your naked wife'.....poor poor Anne, I bet that lie will haunt her in that region of Tanzania for a long while lol The scenery from the train was absolutely fantastic, passing through such beautiful regions, and stopping (although the dealyed stops did become annoying as sometimes the train refused to start) in little villages was fantastic; added to the fantastic views was my newly aquired historical importance....the railway from Tabora to Kigoma follows almost exactly the same route as Stanley did on his way to find Livingstone, before uttering those famous (if controversial words) 'Doctor Livingstone I presume'.
For me however my arrival on the shores of Lake Tanganyika was far less impressive and memorable; arriving 7 hours late at 1am in complete darkness I was heradled towards numerous taxis, picking one who's engine then failed and forced me to trudge back to find another...who then told me that my hotel of choice, the ye olde 'Lake Tanganyika Beach Hotel' was closed for repairs. What followed was comical, I spent over an hour and half searching for a hotel that was full; all I can say to people arriving in Kigoma is don't arrive the day before the ferry is departing and don't depart the same day as a cancelled Air Precision flight as your are likely to have to take a room in a local (cheap) shitty hotel. My lack of sleep was not helped this night, as I awoke at 9am to head down to the MV Liemba booking office to confirm my reservation and collect my 1st class ticket for the German (so pre 1914) built steamer that tramps down Lake Tanganyika once a week. Fantastically, in the ways of only Africa, they didn't have my reservation that I had so perfectly made that week hence; thankfully the still had room and I quickly handed (after tramping back into town, as they only accepted Dollars, to stand in line for 30min to exchange money) over $55 and got in return my ticket. Hasah! Hoorah! The rest of the day I whiled away drinking Passion Fruit juic eand writing my previous blog entry.
I headed down to the MV Liemba at 15-00, in the knowledge that it left at 16-00......I was, instead of being allowed to board, hoarded into a small hut with the other 500 odd passengers and there numerous pineapples, chickens, and sacks of flour; finally being allowed to board at 16-30. I caused a little scene when I had to explain to the officials the importance of me actually being stamped out of Tanzania before reaching Mpulungu, the answer to which I got was that 'maybe the immigration will get on at another port'...fantastic. My cabin wasn't what you would imagine first class to be, rather than being a room on board the QE2 it was double bedded room with cupboard and basin (which didn't work) with a key allowing access to the 'First Class Bathrooms' - possibly the most unhygenic place I have seen in my life, with the most awkward long drops to use - and the 'First Class Restaruant and Saloon' which despite the meals not being free was very good, with meals of Fried Fish and Chicken (I noticed the earlier mentioned chickens disappeared before this night) being very good....oh and yeh, I was the only white person on the ship which was fine, and made a little less intimadating by James my Burundian-American roommate who was also the only other person on the ship who spoke English lol All these seemingly negative (they wern't as it was still an adventure) points were completely offset by the magnicent views of the lake shores on both sides; rugged mountains dropping straight into the beautiful tranquil waters on the lake, palm groved beached of sand with native villagers, and my only views of the Congo and Burundi. Also watching the Liemba amble up to isolated alcove bays and drop anchor heralding a mass evacuation of the 100's of people from the beaches of their particular remote village who then continue to race towards the Liemba in canoes and motorboats intent on trading their good and aquiring passage, creates a sort of nostalgia that means one could be forgiven for assuming that he (or she..just not to be sexist) had been taken back into the days when the Liemba was a brand new German toy plying this route...truly marvellous. I sat contently (burning my nose) watching these views, and events, unfold before my eyes...and along with my new trusty book about Livingstone and Stanley easily passed the (nearly) 2 days between departure and arrival; I also met a few nice people, and even exchange connect details with a particularily friendly Private William of the Tanzania army who was onroute to duty at Kasanga.
Finally, much to my dissapointment I must admitt, we arrived at Mpulungu....it was here, as I was forced to jump over the side of the ship onto the jetty, that I bid goodbye to my roommate. Zambia's only port was abustle with activity as the Liemba unloaded...which I didn't get caught in due to my shortcut over the side of the boat. Unfortunetly my fast progress was halted by being searched, for the first time on this trip, by customs...who pedantically refused to accept I wasn't a smuggler until the had unpacked everything...literally everything....from my back; they then had the gall to point me to the door, I understandibly refused to leave until they had left me pack my bags...this caused a mini-riot as passengers who had disembarked and those embarking were waiting to be searched. Mpulungu, and other towns of Northen Zambia, remind me of the old towns of America's wild west....most of the non-shack building are built in the same high-front small-back design as you see on the old cowboy movies; it was also deatly boring...and I killed 5 hours by chatting to a couple of local teachers...Dennis was nice, but his compatriot literally accused me of being involved in a secret USA conspiracy who created AIDS in a effort to wipe out the Blacks...this instigated the most uncomfortable conversation I have ever had, where I had to systematically defend myself, and explain that whilst AIDS existed in Europe it was on a smaller scale due to better healthcare and education. Needless to say after that, and a fruitless search for batteies for my now dead camera, I was glad to get onboard Germins Lusaka Express....which turned out to be badly named, as even though I was expecting it to take 15 hours I wasn't expecting it to stop at every tiny village along the way and actually try and find passengers.....a process which became particularily hard to bare after a woman sat next to me handed me her child then proceeded to go to sleep until I woke her up and gave it back. Again I was on a form of tranportation as the only Mzungu, although not until i got to ChaChaCha Backpacker did I relaise how much I actually prefer it that way...or at least being one of a handful...instead of getting a good morning to afternoon nap (as the bus took from 15-00 to 06-00 to get to Lusaka) I have being occupied by listening to the Rugby and being engaged in conversation by at least 2 Overland groups...thankfully I am told the majority leave tommorow. The only thing I have accomplished here is this blog, and organising a free taxi to the airport to ferry me to the Stanley-Livingstone esque reunification of David (Elliot, not Beatty of Butler) and myself...hoorah...actually thats a lie, I put up my tent in the hardest earth I have ever encountered....its so poorly pegged it's likely to float away on a breeze; something else on this point is how backpackers love the Dome tent...my rather pro-looking Gelert Mongoose funnelish shaped tent looks a bit out of place...oh well...the historic meeting and a visit to the (apty named, as regarding to the impending meeting) town of Livingstone, and Victoria Falls, in the next blog.

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Photos

MV Liemba
only two of these, and there were literally 500 passengers lol

Reached Mpulungu
hence the crappy picture of a ship with a Zambian Flag

Comments

[4d]

What a whore
Obviously thats you, not tati, but I agree with you, better off with out her etc etc. Your an idiot, if you knew she was going to be looking at this why didnt you save the other bits for facebook or something...muppet. Seeming to enjoy the travelling part of your travelling Mr Dalton. What you should of done is given him your aids to win the arguement by saying you contracted them in Europe. That would of learned him. I've only got 5 days left of uni so it's unlikely im going to be sober enough to respond intelligently to anything (not that i have so far) for a bit. Dont get raped, hugs kisses and a little grope 4d x