Steam Train Sets Winelands AlightAll carriages are pulled by a steam locomotive at some point during their journey, but Vos has been banned from using them around Cape Town because the cinders set a series of fires ablaze all across the winelands, of which he was blissfully unaware. The trains operate in either direction from Cape Town to Pretoria with the option to continue to Victoria Falls. From Pretoria to Komatipoort with a transfer to Kruger Game Park. From Cape Town along the garden route to Knysna and once a year from Cape Town all the way to Dar Es Salaam in Tanzania. A full stomach, wine, brandy and the soporific rhythm of the train helps to put you to sleep but occasional stops and starts during the night do not. It usually takes a couple of nights to feel totally relaxed while your bedroom moves, so it is worth staying on to Victoria Falls. There are no televisions, radios or newspapers and only an emergency mobile phone as Vos wants to revive the art of conversation. At times I found myself too lazy to do more than read a book and nibble on the constant supply of nuts and chocolates. World's Largest Hole Full Of DiamondsThe second day’s stop was at Kimberly to look at the worlds largest hand-dug hole and to marvel at the size of the diamonds found there. We lunched at the colonial Kimberly Club where Cecil Rhodes dreamed of a railway from Cape to Cairo and all of Africa under British rule, but I just wanted to get back to our luxurious temporary home and sit in air-conditioned comfort while the heat blazed outside. The city showed its face by mid-morning on the third day as we skirted Johannesburg and headed towards the administrative capital city of Pretoria. By this time we were being pulled by steam and as we entered Vos’s brand new Edwardian-style station, the engine was chugging, smoke was puffing, white-gloved porters were waiting and Rohan stood elegantly on the flagged platform where a table offered yet more refreshments. We disembarked as if in a film set, reluctant to get off the most luxurious train in the world. The author of this article is Carrie Hampton - she can be contacted on email: carrieh@iafrica.com. Click here to view more about Rovos Rail Copyright © 2002 Carrie Hampton. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without the permission of the author is prohibited. | 
