What a trip!!! Getting to Zambia

Plan A: leave on Saturday, Jan 13th to arrive in Lusaka on Monday morning and travel to Jembo on Wednesday.  We made it as far as Cory's folks, roughly half way to the airport. Because of the windy winter snow storm we were checking about every 15 minutes on our flight status. As we returned to the vehicles to continue to the airport, the cancellation of our flight was posted. Cory rescheduled through the travel agency emergency line to try again on Monday.

Plan B: Cory's folks came to pick us up because Eli needed to be at work. We left the door at 11:30 a.m. on icy roads and after passing at least 9 cars in the ditch arrived at the airport around 1 p.m. Originally due to leave at 3:45...then 5:15...6:15...6:45...7:20. Boarded at 7:50 p.m..

After getting off the plane we talked to the first agent we saw. 'Looks like your plane is still on the ground. Head down there to the bus that will take you to the International Terminal #5.' OK so we went but while on the bus the lady said that we, along with a priest from Pakistan should not have been allowed on as our  as we could now see our flight taxing down the runway. 'Well we were told to rebook at the gate we would have left from.' Nope. We got off the bus, and the lady at the door didn't know what to do with us as we shouldn't have been allowed on the bus since the flight was gone. Finally after some calls they let us in the terminal to head to the tram to go back to Terminal 3 to rebook..... no winter coats and negative windchills. 

Addis Ababa sunrise

Finally rebooked via Ethiopia as no Tuesday flight available through Doha, so heading to Addis Ababa. Praise the Lord we also got a room at the Hyatt Regency and $12 food vouchers. Thankful for a few hours in a nice bed, hot shower, and warm room. Early Tuesday morning we faced the cold again and headed to the airport. Thankfully we were dropped off at Terminal 5 and quickly passed through security with our 3 carry-ons and 3 backpacks. We saw the sun rise at our gate waiting for our flight while enjoying breakfast sandwiches bought with our meal vouchers.

While we boarded on time, we sat for a couple hours on the plane because of frozen water pipes and needing to change gates in order to fill up the plane's tanks. Then we were finally off for a 13 or so hour flight. Snack..Rosemary flavored bits with drink; then a meal [rice/ beef/ onions or chicken/mash potatoes/veggies with salad, cheese piece/crackers; roll with butter, dessert; later a chicken sandwich with drink; and finally breakfast: eggs, sausage, button mushrooms, roasted potatoes, roll, croissant, fruit in syrup, strawberry jam. A few extra times for drinks. 

Plan C: As we arrived Wednesday morning after our plane had already left we were handed our new boarding passes for the flight on Thursday with hotel and meal vouchers stapled to it. We rapidly had our passports stamped and then hit a snag in customs...binoculars are not allowed in Ethiopia. So Cory left us waiting and headed off with an official. After a bit of a wait, long enough for me to start to wonder what was happening he was back with a ticket to pick them up at baggage storage when we returned.

The bus to the hotel only took 2-3 minutes, and we arrived shortly after noon. A very large nice hotel and good food. We spent the rest of the day watching some TV [nature shows, soccer, and snake catching] a bit of time in the sun around the pool after a late lunch at the hotel's Asian restaurant. We tried some Ethiopian flat bread called Injera [sour and spongy] and different stews. Naps, then dinner and breakfast at the ADD restaurant also buffet so could try different dishes. 

Your room card is needed to use the elevator to go to your room as well as to run the lights in the bathroom and room. Remove it and the lights turn off but the TV still works. As we had rooms in two different wings Cory left with the key for Fritz's and my room so he could return for us in the morning.

Suprised where we could see, how densely Ethiopia is
 populated and farmed.Cory found it interesting in
 comparison to Haiti and Zambia. Zambia 2/3 the
 land mass but only 20 million vs. 125 population
 of Ethiopia.

Slept very well. After breakfast we jumped on the shuttle 15 minutes ahead of the time on our paperwork. Good thing!! Once back at the airport Cory was directed to go to the wrong (domestic) baggage claim terminal for the binoculars so he headed off with only the ticket, his passport, and boarding pass. Then he had some trouble getting in the proper roundabout route to baggage claim. We really didn't think this through.... after a wait and time ticking down I remembered to sign into the wifi. Cory messaged shortly after to head through security..so Fritz and I wrestled 3 heavy carry ons and 3 backpacks. Thankfully no one counted or questioned us. 

Finally we met up with Cory before the last security check...got through only to see that our flight was on its last call!!!! One of those heart pounding rushing through the crowds moments while praying furiously and hit with a flood of relief when see a few still in line! Praise the Lord! Only 5 folks ended up after us.

Looks like a source of what would be fertile volcanic
soil for the crowded farms. The black is actually dark green
of trees.

Plan D: A few minutes on the bus we arrived at the plane. We had told the leadership what our boarding pass said that we should arrive in Lusaka at 12:30 p.m. Well..at 12:30 we were landing in.......

Zimbabwe. And the turnaround time to clean and reload the plane took over an hour. We arrived in Lusaka , got our passports stamped and were at the luggage claim about 3:30 p.m. Waited and waited until the luggage carousel stopped... no bags.

Fritz and I went out to meet Rev. Samson while Cory reported our bags missing. Then Cory joined us, used the ATM and also reported our bags missing at the Qatar Air office since we flew them from Chicago.

Off to the guest house. A bit of supper and then in bed by 8 p.m. [1 p.m. Michigan time]

Will retell the rest of the trip next.