We missed our plane! We got there and it was in the air! It left early! No planes leave early! This one did, because apparently there are problems with the lights in Lilongwe so they have to make all of the planes arrive and leave during the day. Fine, but they never let us know! If they had contacted the people who bought the tickets, they would have contacted us – they knew where we were. Air Malawi… eAaa!
To get to that point – we got up early to watch the lions eat, walking over to their enclosure. When we got there, the two females were pressed up against the cage door, the two males in the two dungeon-like side cages. Eventually the keeper arrived, and went into the enclosure. He put two dead chickens, feathers and all up in each of three trees, then hopped back up on the second level of the cage. The lions are in a lower section – we had to crouch down low to be able to go into it the day before (yes, it did smell horribly musky) – with an upper section for the keeper to walk on so that he can pull up and latch the cage door.
He did, and three lions came charging out – the two females and the older male who had been locked up the day before. They went straight for the trees, bounding up and pulling down three of the chickens, then separating to tear them up and eat them. The younger female finished hers, then came back and pulled down two of the remaining ones, then wandering around. This was a bad choice because her father then came over and ate both, while her mother took the remaining one. She tried to eat parts that were left, or to take the mother’s leftovers, but her mother chased her all over the place. It was a lot of fun to watch, and to listen to. I got some film clips of it on my camera, so they might be interesting. I haven’t been able to watch them yet.
Then we walked back to take a quick shower and grab breakfast. This is where it began to be tight – we ate breakfast in the big room (the yellow birds were flying around and flitting down to steal fruit – I’m glad I can’t eat melon anyway) and checked out, bumping and bouncing back down the road to the highway.
We should have gotten there about forty minutes before it was due to leave – 11:00 am – which should be plenty of time in that almost-security-free tiny airport on the perennially late Air Malawi. Just in case – I was worried, used to long security lines – Craig called them to make sure for us, only to find out it was due to leave at 10:30! So, we hared down the road, rushing through traffic, only to get there just as it locked and took off.
Horrible, horrible way to end a very good week. So, we talked to the clerk – the next flight to Lilongwe is on Wednesday, and it’s Sunday. She can get us on Air Zimbabwe Monday night, IF they fly, which isn’t sure of and can’t guarantee anyway. Air Zimbabwe? Who isn’t there that day at their office, and hasn’t updated their website’s schedules since March? I don’t think so!
So, we went to Zambian Airways to see if they had a flight. They don’t, but they do have one to Chipata – a Zambian town about an hour and a half from Lilongwe. Fine, that’s what we did. We thought it was more important to get the work I came here to do done than to worry about a $186 fare – I hope that Infectious Diseases agrees!
At least we made a decision before I had an asthma attack out of anxiety, or Ruth had a stroke. 
Neither of us has ever had this happen before – and hopefully never will again.
So, we drove to talk to a missionary friend of Chimwemwe’s and pick up a couple of cacti – cactus and succulent plants are everywhere in Lusaka, another reason why it reminds me of Phoenix- gave three American kids a ride to the Arcades, and grabbed lunch from a Subway. Subways are apparently everywhere, with the same menu, although this one also had a hugely overstuffed hotdog thing and a chicken tikka sub to suit local tastes.
Then we walked around that same tourist market that I had wanted to look at the previous week. That was nice, but I’d rather have spent the afternoon in Lilongwe!
We DID not return to the Chrismar – instead we got a room at the Cresta Golfview, which we had seen when we picked people up every day on the bus. It was very nice – with excellent water pressure in the HOT shower! I liked the restaurant better, too – I had room service while Ruth went to a church group meeting with Craig and Chimwemwe. Chrismar was decent, but this was better – we should have stayed there instead. Oh, well – my hotel in Lilongwe will be a Cresta too.
