Lincoln to Lusaka

As I know many (OK, some) of you will be concerned about my safe arrival, the following is a short post about my trip and my installation in Zambia.

Lincoln Central Station

The photo to the left was my starting point on Tuesday, specifically the 0836 East Midlands Train from Lincoln to London Saint Pancras via Nottingham. Being East Midlands Trains it was of course late into London, but being a well-organised chap I had factored in a buffer in and so arrived at Heathrow in good time for my Emirates flight to Dubai at 1655.
We arrived in Dubai at about 0300 on Wednesday which gave me plenty of time before my 0925 connection to Lusaka. This experience was a bit of a sleep-deprivation-experiment type of thing and I spent some time wandering around the duty-free shopping like a zombie, and the balance of the time fidgeting in an uncomfortable seat in the lounge (I think all the seating had all been designed specifically to discourage sleeping).

Kenneth Kaunda International Airport

The flight Dubai to Lusaka was very comfortable and we arrived nicely on time on Wednesday at 1435 local. Fortunately I woke up for the landing as the flight carries on to Harare and that could have been awkward.  To the right is the view as you walk into the airport, where it was a very pleasant 23C (which is winter here) with clear blue skies. An old friend of mine had told me that it is the wide open skies that first strike you when you arrive in Africa and he was spot on. Chewe from the SANI Foundation was kindly at the airport to meet me and ferried me to my apartment.

Shakespeare Court

As this picture of my accomodation at the Shakespeare Court shows, I am following in the footsteps of Livingstone, Stanley and, the greatest of them all, Bill Boosey, and truly embracing the roughing-it spirit of African exploration and adventure. That there is even a twice-weekly laundry service is making me feel even less of an adventurer. The apartment is really nice and is in a well maintained complex with a cafe that does a bacon sandwich for breakfast, which takes care of my next 21 breakfasts. The street address is Leopard's Hill Road which sounds great, although I did check with reception as to whether this meant I was at risk of leopard attack and now know the word for "idiot" in the local language.

Crossroads Mall

There is also a shopping mall just over the road, so, I am not even so much "foraging for sustenance" as rather just "shopping at the local supermarket."
In short, I already feel fully installed here in Lusaka. I've also had my first day on-site with the foundation which was great and I am really looking forward to working with them.
More to follow!