This day was actually less “action-packed” as the tour did not begin until mid-afternoon. I had the luxury of sleeping in and eating a late breakfast, and I decided to spend the day in my room going over the itinerary and planning for the “duffel bag” days (as we were going to stay in safari camps, we would pack what we needed in a duffel bag while the rest of our luggage would be put in storage and then get sent directly to Cape Town). Our group met with our tour director in the late afternoon; we introduced ourselves and got an overview of our itinerary. 30 minutes later, we left the hotel for a rail journey into the bush on the Royal Livingstone Express. Unfortunately, there were no animal sightings, but there would be plenty during the tour, and this became a great “get acquainted” opportunity for our group.
Royal Livingstone Express
In the lounge car, we had drinks and appetizers and a high-level presentation on African history, Zambia in particular, with parallels to North American history, by a local guide.
Further into the bush, we disembarked while the engine switched tracks and were visited by two curious but shy local boys and their dog.
Some daring folks climbed up to the engine to blow the whistle.
We got back on the train and moved from the lounge car to the dining car where we had an excellent five-course dinner.
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