ANOTHER AMAZING JOURNEY TO ETHIOPIA - TRAVEL LOG

I decided it would be fun to keep a travel log this trip, since I usually wish I had written things down and then forget lots of details when I get home. The other ladies travelling with me are also keeping journals, so they can help me fill in the missing blanks later. Anyway, our journey started out on Saturday, October 11th with all of us meeting in Washington D.C. from our various points of entry. The travelers who joined me on this trip included our cousin, Jane, and two new women, Peggy and Amanda, who will have the opportunity to meet their new child grandchild at the tail end of our trip. Amanda and her husband had just been referred an infant in September, and she and her mother have travelled with us to help meet needs, bring over loads of donations, and get a feel for the “real” Ethiopia before bringing home this little one this winter. This is Jane’s 2nd trip, as she accompanied me in February to pick up our daughter Eyerusalem.

We left on Saturday evening around 8pm from Washington D.C. and after a long and uneventful flight, God blessed us with a safe landing Sunday night in Addis Ababa. Getting 4 ladies, 8 carry-on bags and purses, plus 11 checked bags, all maxed to exactly 50 lbs. was a challenge. It is always a bit chaotic trying to get luggage into a taxi and to your hotel. Unfortunately, the driver for our guest house hadn’t been informed that we needed a minibus. We spent a good 30 minutes fighting off “baggage handlers” who were searching for tips while negotiating with a new minivan to carry our luggage to the guest house. When we finally arrived, 120 birr the poorer ($13 bucks), we checked into very comfortable rooms, secured our luggage in my room, and went to bed. There is nothing more comfortable than taking a shower that first night and slipping into bed. Of course, my shower would have been a bit nicer if the hot water tank had been turned on more than 30 minutes before my arrival, so I shivered into bed clean, but not warm.