3 May 2012
I grew up in South Africa. You probably know this by now. What you probably don't realise, is that unlike the UK and Europe, or the States, South Africa also HAD a very good rail system. Something that I believe they are working at resurrecting. (Gautrain, Mainline etc).
This is not about that.
I remember the absolute thrill as a teenager and young man, of the romance of Train Travel.
Africa, is a Big Place, as you may have noticed, And some of the trips I had coincided with not only the 'end of a era', but the coming of age of myself and thousands of young men who were enlisted to the Army in the 80's. I remember a trip or two down to Cape Town before my enlistment. I cannot remember if I was alone or with family or friends on this occasion, but what I remember is the thrill of travelling through the vast spaces of the Karoo, the 'taste' in the air of the metal-on-metal of the train straining to pull off from the small platteland stations, and the slight covering of soot over the starched beds that were brought into the cabin in the evening. There was always that worry about who else you would be sharing with, because a 2nd class ticket could bring joy and peace to reflect or sleepless nights depending on how lucky you were. I was were so fascinated by the whole experience, I used to lie awake listening to every creak, and enjoying every movement the train made. Every stop, I would peer out to see progress, and listen for the appearance of extra passengers, hoping for the peace not to be broken, or that my cabins' mistreats would be getting off... Even outside, the scenery was mind-boggling. The trip to the Cape held in it everything you could wish to see. From forests, and mountains, to vast cities of trains at the large junctions, to dry scrub and desert. Soon after, I, and my school friends boarded a similar train to start our army training. Even that was an adventure, not just because of the 'army' but the excitement of a new and unknown horizon. For the next two years, I travelled all over South Africa on my way to different postings, and still the excitement of the experience never diminished, (except now I could have a beer!)
So today, 20-plus years on, I still feel that excitement in Train travel, even if it's just popping from Shepperton to London to meet someone. There is still that Buzz, that anticipation on what I'll see on the way, and the return later, as a bonus.
Memories Of Train And Travel • Opuss № I