Kigoma - Day 332

Date: July 16th, 2010
Distance: None
Country: Tanzania
Song of the Day: Hanginaround - Counting Crows

So I have basically been stuck in Kigoma the last three days. It is a nice town, the people are friendly, and there is nothing to do. There are only a couple of reasons to come here. If you are waiting for the boat to take you south to Zambia, or if you want to take the train east to Dar es Salaam. Past that, there isn't much to do but wait.

I was hoping to take the train to Dodoma, the capital. It is supposed to be amazing. There is no direct road to Dodoma. So the train cuts across vast empty spaces in the interior. I was thinking that I might be able to see some wildlife along the way. Acording to the locals, the line was completed in 1903. A throwback to the colonial period when train travel was the best way.

When I checked online, the train was running three times a week. That is no longer the case. It now runs only on Sundays. Urgh. I was going to wait for the train when I remembered you could take a bus. The road goes north over rough roads for about 300km before heading east towards the coast. So it was at least possible.

I purchased a ticket yesterday, and the bus was set to leave at 5:30 this morning. I was up before dawn and got myself to the bus yard. Trying to get the bike on the bus turned into a real hassle. I have seen a fully grown cow on top of a bus, don't tell me you can't fit one stupid bike on it. They guys kept telling me to wait, and that there was no space. Every time I tried to show them, they walked away. Then they unloaded a number of large bags of cargo (filled with little fish, like sardines, from Lake Tanganyika). I tried to get my bike on in the space left open, but again I was told to wait. Then the bus drove off, leaving me in the dust and darkness.

I went and checked back into my hotel. Later I went back to the bus company and complained about it. They said they could get me on the next bus, but that wasn't until Sunday. I was in no mood to wait, so I got a refund and went to another company. I purchased another ticket for 11:30 AM tomorrow. I guess it was the same price for Dar es Salaam as Dodoma, so I got the ticket all the way there. Since I missed a day, I will probably get off at the turn off to the highway north.

-Dravis