Zambian airways - from the ridiculous to the sublime

I surprised the staff in Mfuwe airport - they weren't aware of a flight to Lusaka today. They peered at the printout of my e-ticket and then explained that although there was an incoming flight, it would "sleep here" and return to Lusaka in the morning. My day had been stressful enough, with finding that I had been misinformed that my credit card was accepted by Flatdogs, and so trying to find a way to pay - not helped much by their lack of phone or electricity, so I decided that the flight issue really didn't matter. I smiled to myself and waited to see what would happen. Someone in the Zambian airways office made a phone call or two and they decided it would be ok for me to check in, quickly rooting around to find a "Lusaka" sign to hang on the desk. Overcome by the complexities of my name, I was entered as "Zoe H" on the hand-written (carbon in triplicate, of course) passenger manifest.

As there was nothing much happening in the way of aircraft, but too much in the way of country and western music, I wandered back out of departures to a cafe across the road. Returning an hour later, the place was deserted, so I processed myself back through security to departures. Outside the door onto the apron my bag and a baggage handler sat together on a trolley, both wearing a look of low expectation.

The incoming flight created a miniscule flurry of activity. The crew came into the airport and on leaving a few minutes later, simply beckoned me to follow. I chatted to the pilots on the way to the plane, then settled down to enjoy the bizarre sensation of being on my own private flight. It didn't do much for my ecological concience though, and I was already guiltily aware that flying back had been an unnecessary extravagance. Arriving in Lusaka, someone opened the cargo hatch and invited me to help myself to my bag, so shouldering my pack, I walked towards the airport building, guessing which might be the right way in as there was nobody around to ask.

Zambian airways - changing something.