The big read: Travelling South Africa by train

Most people who visit Africa head straight for a safari lodge, but the lure of the continent’s railways, more than 3,000 miles over two weeks from Cape Town to Dar es Salaam, attracted Ted Conover.

JUST a few hours into our train ride, we know the passengers in the cabins on either side of ours: On one side are two young Canadians on a month-long, round-the-world backpacking trip.

On the other are four middle-aged women on a trading expedition from their towns in Zambia to Dar es Salaam, where they’ll buy supplies for their shops, including clothes and spare parts for cars.