Zambia 2013, Day 1 – 20 Hours and 4 Meals

June 24, 2013

Hey Western World!

Itʼs Zora here today with updates. Today was (not) very eventful. Ha! We had a 14 hour plane ride to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia that was pretty comfortable. We all sat next to one another, ate, watched movies and played card games. The landscapes below the plane were absolutely gorgeous. We flew over Madrid, which was outlined in gold lights and these incredible mountains in Tunisia, and it was truly majestic. It was also fascinating to go from day to night in 20 minutes as we circled the globe and as the Earth rotated on its axis about the sun. It makes time that much more relative.

But after 14 hours we finally got to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia where our layover turned to  5 hours instead of 3. But there were a lot of interesting people in the airport, coming from and going to all around the world. And even though we were barely there, we did breath Ethiopian air which is more than you folks back home can say. So I deem our first mark to have been made in Addis. Once we finally boarded, it was a 4 hour plane ride to Lusaka. We were all surprised at the gargantuan plane that was to transport us there, until we realized that it was an international flight. Having come from the US it felt as though it were a simple domestic flight, but they definitely used a bigger airplane for this ride. That ride was much less comfortable than the 14 hour flight to Addis. It was more crowded, we were all cranky, and very anxious. I have a permanent neck cramp from the restless sleep I got on that flight as well. So that flight was slightly mediocre.  But after a total of 20 hours and 4 airplane meals later, we arrived in Lusaka. Everyone was overjoyed to finally have arrived! The weather here is perfect, not a cloud in the sky. There are palm trees everywhere and no tall buildings to obscure the horizon. It humbles you be amongst this scenery: to understand what life was like before humans took over. Life is different here in Lusaka in that there is less modern development: no tall buildings or a metro system. They also drive on the left side of the road! Being here reminds us how American we are: not using the metric system, driving on the other side of the road, writing our date with the month first; we are just so different. Upon arrival at the Lusaka Airport, we took a bus from the airport to the guest house with our driver Andrew. The guest house has 2 buildings: one for girls and the other for boys. The rooms are decent and clean with their own separate full bathroom, bed, TV,  and balcony. We stay 2-3 to a room, so itʼs pretty cozy. We have a large, fully operating, stocked kitchen, an abundance of bottled water and we are in great spirits. Now (Wednesday night) we are sorting our donations for tomorrow to be given to the Chikumbuso and Chitukuku schools weʼll be visiting. Weʼll be heading to bed soon, because we are all exhausted and drained, but still excited. We are here to serve, learn, and make a difference. We are all still pumped in our fatigued states. Chikumbuso and Chitukuku, here we come!

Zora F., Rockville High School