Our “Airport”

Due to the irregularity of available flights via the UN helicopter, we’ve had to make use of our local “airport, which is actually a dirt airstrip, at least for the moment is visited somewhat regularly by airplanes. To control the airstrip would be a jewel in the crown of the rebels that regularly attack our area, but fortunately, to date this has not become a reality.

To book a seat on a plane, you call a local man who comes to your house and collects money, and writes your name on the passenger manifest, aka a notebook. On the “scheduled” day of our flight, we walk 1,800 ft. to the airport (a general area of grass, and then check in , which means our names are crossed off in the notebook.

The next step is to get our bags weighed, and then if you’re thirsty…

… you mosey on over to this guy, whom I’ve only seen here once. I wonder if this is the only ironing board in the area.

Then, you grab seat on the grass, or sit on your bag and hangout with all of your friends who have come to see you off.

The airport is at the crossroads, so you may have intended guests such as Joyeuse, the eldest of the “kids” at the orphanage, and now in her second year at the university. A lot of time is spent posing with these friends…

… and posing with your friends….

… and posing with your friends.

You wait for hours because you have no idea when the plane will arrive because you have no idea when the plane departed, so you might walk around and check out the interesting patterns on the ladies outfits sch as…

… this arrangement of sparkplugs.

You also see who will be flying with you on the plane and hope you’re not seated next to the woman with the chicken.

Once the plane arrives, hopefully there’s time to hangout with the pilot, in this case “Uncle” Ted, who has become a close friend to our family.

Uncle Ted might let you sit in the cockpit…

…. but for sure he’s always up for a pose with his favorite diminutive passengers.

The last time Lisa and I flew together out of Minembwe, we had to show everyone on the flight how to buckle a seat belt as it appeared to be the first flight for everyone on board. Once the plane landed at our destination, Lisa and I were ready to exit the plane, but no one was moving out of their seats to disembark. We then noticed that everyone was still buckled in, so we repeated the seat belt instructions in reverse, and everyone was happy.

No need for disseminating seatbelt instructions on this flight.

Somehow - Michael