October 14, 2014, Tuesday. We were supposed to have spent the night stopped in a station last night but because of the problems the train encountered, we ran at speed all night long and are still a couple of hours late. Very bumpy track, and despite taking melatonin, I didn't really sleep until about 4 am and was awake by seven. I'm glad we have a lazy travel day today!  We had an interesting lecture this morning about the general history and politics of eastern and Southern Africa and another this afternoon about the European "discovery" of the Nile. I was embarrassed to doze through much of the morning talk, but had a two hour nap after lunch and stayed awake nicely this afternoon. As we rode through the countryside, people of all ages rushed out of their houses, smiling and waving as though we were the most exciting thing they had ever seen. 

These are typical villages--small brick houses, no apparent electricity or other features of modern life.

There were children all along the tracks that run just yards from their villages.