My second bus ride up to Kapiri Mposhi, Zambia to catch the train was fairly uneventful unless you count the guy who was sitting across the aisle from me throwing up about once an hour. Just all over himself and on the floor and not wiping it up. It was GROSS. Luckily it didn't smell.

The train was a whole other ballgame. What an adventure. I am trying to describe it that way because for the first 24 hours of the 44 hour train ride I was writing this post in my head and describing it as some kind of prison hell. I had a second class ticket which meant a 6-person berth sharing with 5 other girls. I don't even know how to describe this. It was SMALL. When the beds were down then you coudln't even sit up in your bed, you could only lie there with about a food of head space to the next bed above you. And it was HOT. And there was no water. And squat toilets.

But after the first day I got used to it and kind of liked it. I met a few people and got used to the heat and cramped quarters. Today as we were going through a game park I saw tons of wildlife through the window and it just felt so good to be where I was. I really felt free.

Once in Dar Es Salaam, I decided that there was no need to stick around the city and rather head straight to Zanzibar. After not showering and sweating profusely for close to 3 days, I was looking and feeling pretty terrible and decided to treat myself to a nice hotel in Stone Town for a couple of nights before i head to the north beach. What a room! With a 4-post bed and AIR CONDITIONING! And a sit down tiled shower and a NICE pool! I am in heaven! Bad website but to get an idea what it looks like it is www.tembohotel.com

I figured out a way to get the beachboys to leave you alone when you first arrive in a new place. Just tell them that you are staying at the fanciest hotel and they will walk away. It is because they only recieve commission from the smaller hostels and hotels and if you go to an expensive place they don't get anything so see you as a waste of time. Live and learn.

The beachboys here are annoying. I have had a really hard time about getting ripped off since I came to Zambia and Tanzania. In Zambia, looking back at my reciept, I was charged $20 too much for my Zambia visitor visa. Then on the train they tried to short-change me TWICE! The same guy. Either that or he just can't count. Then in Tanzania I bought my ferry ticket and once on the boat looking closely at the ticket I saw that I was charged $5 more than was printed on the ticket. I think that was a commission for the guy who brought me to the ticket seller. Things like this are starting to get to me. MAKES ME CRAZY!