From http://www.guardian.co.uk/zimbabwe/a...212945,00.html

""Letter from Zimbabwe
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Roaches and dinner by torchlight on the night train from Harare
Ndaba Sithole
Sunday November 18, 2007
The Observer

When you need to travel by train in Zimbabwe these days, the overnight
services are an unsettling experience. It is not only the stations
along the way that are in darkness, you cannot count on much
illumination inside the carriage either.....
...More often than not, water is also not available but passengers
continue to use the toilets, creating a pungent smell. Cockroaches and
mosquitoes are also regulars on board.

But for Josphat Karimazondo, a regular train user, it's more a matter
of saving his hard-earned cash than travelling in elegance.

'The situation is deplorable but we don't have much of a choice really
because the train is cheaper. I paid ....""

How much do you think he's going to say? Have a guess.

""....Z$1.3m [£22] for a standard class seat from Harare to
Bulawayo...""

One point 3 million dollars!

""... but if I had to board a bus, I would have paid in the region of Z
$5m. ""

Five MILLION dollars!! Little finger to mouth!

At times we just have to worry about saving a few dollars [LOROL]
because things are tough and we need every cent [no you don't!!] that
we can save,' says Karimazondo.""