This morning we packed up to leave Jo’burg. For the next 48 hours we will be travelling on the Rovos Rail to Cape Town. Cromwell drove us to the train station in Pretoria. Pretoria is one of three capital cities of South Africa.

At the station, we had to say goodbye to Cromwell. This was sad because he had become a good friend.

Stepping into the lobby of the train station was like taking a trip into the past. A man named David gave us a tour of the station and told us about the history of the train.

Then, we boarded the train. Each train car had a hostess to take care of passengers’ needs. My favorite car is the observation car at the back of the train. It has a great view of the starry night sky. Our first night was wonderful and the dinner was delicious. All passengers on the train must dress-up for dinner, but this is part of the fun of being on the train.

Day 11

Sleeping on a train is a very strange experience. Our cabin has 2 twin beds, a small table, a refrigerator, and a full bathroom with a shower. The train rocked back and forth most of the night, which made it a little difficult for me to sleep. I hope to sleep better tonight.

The ProjectExplorer team met for a fantastic breakfast in one of the dining cars. There are 2 dining cars on the train. One dining car is from 1911, and the other is from the 1930s.

Today, we had a little mini-trip from the train. We stopped in a town called Kimberley. Kimberley is known for its diamond mines. Diamond and gold mining is a very important part of South Africa’s history and the economy. At Kimberley, we got to see the Big Hole. This is where the diamonds were dug from the ground.

Day 12

I was able to sleep much better last night. I woke up with the African sunrise and got off the train at 7am for a quick walk before breakfast.

After our morning walk, the train manager, Peter, talked to me about working on the train. We also got to film in the tiny kitchens. It was really cool to see how they make so much wonderful food for about 75 passengers.

As we neared Cape Town the landscape changed. I sat in the observation car to watch the mountains get closer. The land turned much greener as we passed many vineyards. To pass the time, one of the passengers had a guitar and we all sang along. Meredith even did a solo song for us!

We arrived in Cape Town right on time at 6pm. We are staying at the Cape Diamond Hotel. It is in the center of downtown Cape Town. From what I could see, it looks like an exciting area. The hotel is new and each room is a little different. The staff are friendly and were excited for our arrival.

I am excited to begin exploring Cape Town,

Part I: About Rovos Rail	Part II: Tour the train with me!

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