*My travelling Zambia series**This is the **third **article in a series about my 2010 experiences travelling in Zambia. If you haven’t had a chance to read earlier articles here’s [the beginning](https://infobwana.com/2011/01/travelling-zambia-the-beginning/ "Travelling Zambia - the beginning").*
As we arrive there is a distinct difference between Heathrow and Lusaka International Airport. Everything is much slower. Too slow. Queues are long and not moving fast enough. There is confusion as to which queue we should be in. Once through we pick up our bags but are stopped because security wants to match our baggage tags with our boarding passes. This is a good thing — it ensures no one walks off with your baggage. But we can’t find our boarding passes. We didn’t think we’d need them again. We eventually find them in the bottom of my hand luggage and are let through. These things are all in the detail. It would have been nice to have known we would need our boarding passes again to save the stress later on. This experience highlights the severe need for customer service training in Zambia. But I can’t help but smile and accept things as they are — this is Africa and no one rushes around or stresses out!
As usual my family arrives late. The Browns are not known for their time keeping. Are any Zambians known for their time keeping? So we hang around outside the airport, avoiding eye contact with taxi drivers and trolley men. A polite but firm, “No thank you,” should see them off if you do not need their services and, if they persist, understand that they really need the business.
It’s warm for 8 am. You can easily pick up on the change in atmosphere. Everyone is smiling and saying, “Good morning.” I watch as families and friends are reunited and businessmen meet drivers holding up their names written on boards. These are much more subdued of course. Other travelling groups arrive and are ushered into tour buses. You can tell who has been here before and who really is unsure what to expect.
My lot arrive 20 minutes late. We pile in and amongst the chatter take in the sites. Shirley described it best — so many people walking! There are people walking in places that seem miles from anywhere. We explain that they are walking to work and school and that they will walk for hours if they need to. As we get nearer the city there are blue mini buses also taking people to work and school. In the main streets of Lusaka, mornings are full of horns and the shouts of bus boys who dangerously hang out the doors of mini buses touting for business. Men, women and children have woken early. Most people take care of their appearance and look fresh and bright. There is no Government support here. Each day is full of opportunity.
*My travelling Zambia series**This is the **third** article in a series about my 2010 experiences travelling in Zambia.*
1: Travelling Zambia — the beginning2: Travelling Zambia — Heathrow to Lusaka3: Travelling Zambia — our Lusaka arrival4: Travelling Zambia — tribal accommodation5: Travelling Zambia — the zen like Prana in Livingstone6: Travelling Zambia — the human mind at night in Africa**
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