Getting Around Zambia

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Hemos viajado los aproximadamente 1.500 km. de Kapiri Mposhi, Zambia, que es la primera estación del tren , hasta el Parque Nacional de Selous en Tanzania en 48 horas que no se olvidan fácilmente
Tienes que tomar un mini bus o un taxi para llegar a Mposhi desde Lusaka, y se tarda algo más de dos horas dos horas
Viajamos dos personas en primera clase (VIP) en una cabina de 4 literas , donde te sirven el desayuno y las comidas
No esperes ningún lujo, incluso si vas en primera clase, los viejos trenes fueron fabricados en China, las cabinas están razonablemente limpias , la comida es muy pobre, pero la gente, el tren y los paisajes te harán un viaje inolvidable
Te dan tres comidas al día, pero es mejor si se llevas algo para " suplementarlas" y algo para picar , aunque en las estaciones puedes comprar fruta , cacahueses...
Hay un vagón-bar donde puedes conseguir agua, refrescos y cerveza
El tren se detiene en todas las estaciones, que son muy frecuentes , pero normalmente no tienes tiempo para bajar , pero que nunca olvidarás cómo todo el mundo se aderca al tren para vender algo, viajar o simplemente para mirar

We travelled the aprox 1.500 Kms. from Kapiri Mposhi, Zambia , that is the first station of the train up to Selous National Park in Tanzania in 48 hours that we are not forgetting easily
You must take a mini bus or a taxi to reach Mposhi from Lusaka in more than two hours
We travelled , two persons in first class ( vip ) in a 4 berth cabin where they are serving to you breakfast and meals
Do not expect any luxury , even if you go in first class , the old trains were made in China , cabins are reasonably clean , food is very poor , but the people , the train and the landscapes will make an unforgettable travel
You have three meals a day , but is better if you take something to suplement them and some snacks , though you may get in the stations fruit , peanuts...
There is a bar-wagon where you may get water , drinks and also beer
The train stops frecuently in all the stations , but normally you do not have time to descend but you will never forget how everybody aproached to the train for selling some thing , traveling or just to look around

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La idea original era que este tren debería servir para potenciar los envíos regionales a gran escala de cobre y otros bienes de Zambia. pero el impacto real del Tazara ( Tanzania Zambia Railway ) ha sido la de promover el desarrollo económico rural y mejorar la vida de los productores rurales mediante la conexión de los mercados locales.
Los residentes del corredor de Tazara fueron reasentados en pueblos centralizados "ujamaa" y la comercialización agrícola se organizó a través de cooperativas locales que vendían sus productos a las cooperativas del gobierno, hasta la liberalización de la economía de Tanzania en 1980, cuando los productos ya pudieron ser intercambiados en los mercados locales y regionales
El ferrocarril se ha convertido en un recurso importante para los comerciantes, agricultores, pescadores y otras personas que ahora viven en el corredor ferroviario
Los productos más populares son: el maíz, mijo(para la fabricación de la cerveza local), los frijoles secos, patatas, boniatos , arroz y pescado seco, las naranjas dulces, plátanos...

The planners original idea it was that this train should be for large-scale regional shipments of copper and other goods from Zambia . but the TAZARA’s real impact has been to promote rural economic development and improve the lives of rural producers by connecting local markets.
Residents of the TAZARA corridor were resettled into centralized “ujamaa” villages and agricultural marketing was organized through village cooperatives that sold their products to the goverment cooperatives , up to the liberalization of Tanzania’s economy in 1980 , when the products could be now exchanged in local and regional markets
The railway has become an important resource for traders, farmers, fishermen, and others who are now living in the railway corridor
The most popular products are :maize, millet (valued for brewing local beer), dried beans, potatoes, rice and dried fish , sweet oranges , bananas...

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A finales de los años 60 , se inició el proyecto de hacer un ferrocarril de 1860 Kms desde Kapiri Mposhi, Zambia hasta Dar es Salaam, Tanzania con un recorrido por terrenos deshabitados , bosques y con un desnivel de más de 1.000m , con el desembarco de 12 Chinos que haciendo el recorrido a pie decidieron cual debería ser el trazado definitivo del ferrocarril, a partir de esto comenzó el proyecto con el desembarco en Dar er Salam de los primeros 1.000 chinos , técnicos de ferrocarril , vestidos todos con sus trajes de algodón grises ( Mao ) y llevando sus maletas azules encima de los hombros
En 1976 , después de cinco años en los que 50.000 Tanzanos /Zambianos y 25.000 Chinos , trabajaron en areas remotas costruyendo puentes , volando túneles y montando railes empezó a funcionar el " Tren de la Libertad "

n the late 60's, began the project of making a railway of 1860 km from Kapiri Mposhi, Zambia to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania in an area of uninhabited land, forests and with a drop of over 1.000m, with the arrival of 12 Chinese that spent nine months on foot, mapping out the best path for the railway ; from this point the project began with the arrival in Dar er Salaam the first 1.000 Chinese , railway technicians, all dressed in gray cotton suits (Mao) and carrying blue bags over their shoulders.
In 1976, after five years in which 50,000 Tanzanian / Zambian and 25,000 Chinese worked in remote areas blasting tunnels, building bridges, and laying the track , started to operate the"Freedom Train"

Este tren viaja dos veces por semana de Zambia a Tanzania y vicebersa y tarda oficialmente 48 horas en hacer este recorrrido
Aquí hablaremos un poco de su historia y en otros "tips " iremos dando más detalles del viaje
Zambia sin salida al mar estaba preocupada porque sus vecinos tiene el control del transporte por ferrocaril ( Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Mozambique ) , lo que la hace muy vulnerable con sus exportaciones que se generan principalmente en su cinturón del cobre
Kenneth Kaunda and Julius Nyerere unieron sus esfuerzos para crear un ferrocarril que uniera ambos paises pero no consiguieron soporte financiero del Banco Mundial , Usa , Rusia ...En esos momentos Mao Al frente de la RP China tenía muy buenas relaciones con Tanzania y decidió realizar el mayor proyecto que China había hecho en el exterior y posiblemente uno de los más difíciles pues implicaba cruzar media Africa por sitios completamente inaccesibles hasta ese momento

This train travels twice a week from Zambia to Tanzania and vicebersa and officially takes 48 hours to make this journey
Here we'll talk a little about the history and in other "tips" we will give more details of the trip
Landlocked Zambia was concerned that its neighbors are in control of railway transport (Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Mozambique), making it very vulnerable to their exports that are mainly generated in the copper belt
Kenneth Kaunda and Julius Nyerere joined forces to create a railway that would unite the two countries but they did not get financial support from the World Bank, Usa, Russia ...
At that time Mao at the head of the PR China had very good relations with Tanzania and they decided to do the biggest project that China had done overseas and possibly one of the most difficult because it included sites across the center of Africa that had never been accessible until now
This decision troubled many countries because they thought that this support from China could upset the existing political map africa at that time

for full information about entering Zambia on the Kazungula ferry (it is a long and involed process... (not to mention somewhat expensive!) see my Kazungula ferry tips

The Great East Road is the highway linking the Eastern Province with the rest of the country. The road is also the way from Zambia to Malawi and Northern Mozambique. The road is bitumen all the way with some bad potholed sections. The Great East Road has little traffic to be a regional road. The distance between Lusaka to Chipata is 600 km, mostly through rural and wilderness areas. Buses leave Lusaka for Chipata from early morning through to late afternoon, and the trip takes 10–12 hours.

There some Police road blocks on the road. A bus on a regular route will easily pass through theese blocks. Foreigners in rented cars will be stopped. There have been attempts where officials have asked for a bribe.

You may hear plenty about the taxis, the buses and the like in and around Zambia. But interestingly enough one really helpful tip is, wherever possible, whatever mode of transport you are using - simply wear a SEATBELT. Some of the roads are bad and I mean bad. Potholes the size of... well, they are BIG...! and deep too. If you hit one, the chances are your head will hit the roof or the window and that may hurt, so be safe and get strapped in just in case.

I noticed that, around Livingstone and in Zambia, many people had little, square, reflective stickers on their bumpers that were red in back and white in front. These are required, supposedly, on all cars in Zambia. All cars are required to have two reflective emergency triangles as well. We were told we could get the stickers in Livingstone, but we never did and it wasn't too much of a problem- supposedly you can be fined heavily for not having the stickers...

Keep in mind that if your rental company doesn't allow you to travel to Zambia, that if you do go and get the stickers, they will probably know what that means... so either obey the rental company or remove the stickers when out of Zambia.