TAZARA train 14

 The second- and third-class cabins were not as nice. Third class passenger cabin  on TAZARA train

Most people in second- and third-class were traveling only from one village or town to another and not the whole way to Dar es Salaam. The seats were hard, and space was pretty cramped — I wouldn't want to be sitting there for several days.

TAZARA train 13

 The train was maybe the bumpiest I'd been on. But the bed was comfy enough that I slept soundly — with the covers over my head in case of mosquitoes.

The bed I slept on aboard the train was comfortable. 

There were not many mosquitoes, but there were enough other buzzing insects that they could be annoying at times. The thick bedsheets were surprisingly breathable, and though the pillow was fairly lumpy, it served its purpose, too.

TAZARA train 12

 Alternatively, food could be purchased at any of the dozens of stops along the way, from friendly locals who would walk right up to the train.

Women selling food at a Tazara train stop. Ben Mack / 

"Ndizi!" the women balancing enormous plates and bowls on their heads would shout in Swahili, meaning they were selling fresh bananas. "Maembe!" others would say, meaning they were selling very ripe mangoes. You could usually buy a bunch for about $0.40 by simply passing money through the window — and it was really quite something to see the women walk around, balancing everything perfectly on their heads without using their hands or having to walk slowly.

TAZARA train

 Meals could also be ordered and brought to the cabin, and they were quite affordable at about $2 for a full-course dinner.

Dinner of beef stew with nshima on TAZARA train

Dinner of beef stew with nshima and watermelon on the first night aboard the Tazara train. Ben Mack / Insider

For dinner, the choices were chicken, a beef stew, or fish, which cost about $0.40 extra. Breakfast consisted of eggs, four slices of bread with a small scraping of butter, coffee or tea, and also cold spaghetti. It also cost just $2.

Ben Mack (to be continued) 

TAZARA train

The lounge's turquoise couches felt plastic-y and weren't as soft as my bed. But they were softer than many third-class seats — which was probably why most people I met there said they came from third class.

The restaurant was also often busy.

While some people were ordering food, a lot of people in the restaurant were just sitting and talking. Even though there were fans on the ceilings, I never saw them working.

TAZARA train

The bar and snack stand on the Tazara train. Besides bottled water, there were also bananas for $0.40 each — considered expensive for the region. But a bag of popcorn was just $0.65. It was all cash-only. 

 Passengers relaxing in the lounge on the Tazara train next to the restaurant and bar/snack stand. 

Ben Mack (to be continued) 

TAZARA train - A Hole In The Floor

 The electricity also often stopped working, sometimes for hours at a time. I had to be conservative when I turned my phone on to take pictures, and I was glad I brought several books for entertainment.

The toilets, however, were not metal.

The first-class toilet was a squat toilet, which is essentially a hole in the floor. Using it while the train moved was interesting.

The train also had a bar/snack stand, where you could buy things like bottled water for about $0.40.

Ben Mack (to be continued)