The Long Train to Cape Town

The last day of my safari consisted of a long drive back to Johannesburg with a few stops at some viewpoints.  I used the time to edit photos and try to catch up on some sleep. 

After a day and half of rest in Joburg I hopped on the train to Cape Town.  It was supposed to be a 26-hour ride through South Africa and I was excited to sleep and see some of the country.  Well, I did sleep a lot.  But the scenery didn’t offer much.  Most of it was similar to driving along I-80 through Utah and Nevada.  But there were a few baboons and funky looking antelope along the way.  

Mountains and vineyards started to appear just as the sun went down for the 2^nd time on this trip.  The sun was only supposed to set once during this trip.  Yes, I’m writing this on hour 29 and I hope to be in Cape Town sometime within the next three hours.  Last night someone stole a long section of the electric cables (that power the electric train engine) above the rails ahead of us.  The train company was trying to get a diesel engine to come and tow us to the next section, but apparently the cables were replaced before that happened.  I’m not complaining about the delay at all.  It has given me time to finish photos and catch up on some sleep.  Expecting such delays, the train always has enough food on board for a second dinner for everyone.  I was telling the cab driver in Cape Town about it and he said that people steal cables every day along the rail lines. 

I kept my camera in its case on the train ride because there wasn’t much to photograph and it was just nice to sit and enjoy the view for a bit.

The African Bush

My tent for the week.

During the next few days in Cape Town I hope to see the views from atop Table Mountain and watch some penguins.

The last leopard of the trip.