Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Day 9- Part 2 Wreck Number 7 (Lucky number 7)

Due to the law that the Ethiopian police are not to be photographed and the fear of the mob stealing our cameras, the next part of the day will have to be pictureless as I mention “The incident that we don’t talk about.”

Yep, I’m breaking the silence. Why? As a public service to those who come after us and to count my lucky stars.

First the background. There are no rules to driving in Ethiopia, or at least it seems that way. See the 2 pictures below. There are very few stop lights or stop signs. Everyone has the right of way. People, animals, bicyclists and cars all share the road. No one drives in their lane or on the side of the road they are supposed to.

Everyone weaves in and out of whatever is in their way. Horns were invented for Ethiopian drivers. Cars pass with in inches of each other. There are no seat belts in most of the cars and no child car seats either. Yet somehow it is actually a controlled chaos most of the time. There are wrecks but not as many as you would think. 



And you get used to it. After a while you even stop closing your eyes and just ignore it. It really is a controlled chaos.

But in Awassa, on our journey from the lake to our next stop we weren’t so lucky. As long as I live I will never forget that moment. I was in the back of the vab talking with my sister.  Elliott was being held by the social worker in the back seat next to me when all of the sudden our driver braked suddenly and we were all thrown forward. Yes- wreck number 7 in my life.  Lucky number 7.

We all hit the seats in front of us but social worker (who was holding Elliott) was thrown from the backseat, forward, past the middle seat and into the back of the second row of seats. She turned as she was thrown and her butt ended up wedged in the step well of the door.

She turned to protect Elliott. Elliott ended up held tight in her arms, completely protected. She was scared but absolutely fine. Our social worker was too (though I’m guessing a little brusied), as was everyone else in our van.

A motorcyclist turned left in front of our van and our driver tried to brake suddenly to avoid hitting him but was unable to stop in time. We were scared to say the least. Scared that the motorcyclist wouldn’t be okay, scared about what would happen to our driver (we all had visions of him being thrown in jail even though he wasn’t at fault), scared about all the people who were suddenly mobbing our van. The crowd built in a matter of minutes to 100 then 200.

The motorcyclist got up and he was fine, a little bruised but fine. Our driver was found to not be at fault . We got to see an accident reconstruction Ethiopian style. Very interesting.

Evidently normally the police aren’t involved though. Instead it is more common to just pay the person off.  Bribery, the backbone of nations. I asked if it had ever happened to anyone.

As for the people mobbing the van, we sat with the windows closed and Mahi yelled at them when they tried to open them. It was a little freaky. But eventually they called us a second car to take us around the rest of the day while the rest of the accident stuff got sorted out.

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Day 9- Monkeys, and Hippos and Birds- OH MY!

After sleeping under mosquito nets, I awoke to a beautiful sunrise outside our balcony.
Our new view.




After an interesting breakfast which I did not eat but two bites of,  we were off on our days adventures.

Now note- Don’t drink the juice. I’m telling you now. In Addis, it comes in a carton and then it was fine.  But here it was fresh squeezed pineapple juice- if you drink it you’ll regret it like I did for 12 hours of pure HELL.  Luckily we had medicine for that too.....

We were supposed to visit the fish market that day, but after I drank the juice- I begged not to go to anything too smelly.  Luckily that day it was too smelly... Yep, that is what they told up when we got there. It smells too bad today to go there. Fine with me.

Instead watched them feed the African storks. The very big, hungry storks.



Then we fed the monkeys.  I loved feeding them.  It was amazing to see them in their habitat.









The monkey even sat on Gretchen’s (our travel mates) shoulder.

Then we took the Hippo boat ride. (Oh wait, it isn’t Disneyland. They are real, people eating hippos.)

Rephrased= they we took a boat to see the Hippos. This was the highlight of the trip. I could have stayed out there for days (on a cabin cruised) not a wood boat. I love being on the water anytime but it didn’t hurt that it was a beautiful, calm, sunny day.


And we rode in a wood boat that had to be bailed out so it didn’t sink.

Well, I sure it wouldn’t sink quickly but we would have gotten a whole lot wetter on our hour long journey than we did if it hadn’t been for this kid bailing water from the boat the whole time.  Safe right?  Again- never in America....


They made us wear life jackets just to be safe.  Not sure if the hippos attacked that would have helped....




This is one of the few fisherman we saw. Yes, his boat is made of reeds tied together.  Makes our boat look safe.


Elliott enjoyed it too.





This reads “Love Awassa” in Amharic.  I do LOVE AWASSA.

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Going to Awassa was my favorite part of the trip. It is considered to be a tourist location as people come to the lake area to watch for birds.  It is beautiful- with water, wildlife, and many flowers. It was very important  to go to document anything we could for Elliott. Our first stop was her first orphanage. We changed our shoes out and right there on the entrance bulletin board was a picture of her we had never seen.

Where she lived for a month and a half of her life.




The blanket they sun the babies on. Yes, they have baby sun time.

This home was much older than the other and there were more children.  Some of whom had families and others that were waiting up to 1 year for a family. I got to meet the children.

I got to hold, hug, kiss the children. It was very hard though to play with some of the older children that my never get a family.  I give a child a sucker and them to have never had one before and to have to explain that you have to unwrap it first.  To see a 18 month old that was smaller than Elliott.  To see several premature infants there. To hear their faint cries. To know that these children are orphans.

The 4 premature infants that would have been in the hospital in the US- where in normal beds. Now you see why they had a need for high calorie formula that we had brought from the US.  Remember those donations that I had a war with Air France about - it was for those babies- some no more than 3 lbs.

We got to learn more of Elliott’s story, see her records and see pictures of her we never knew existed.

We also learned this, the people there truly love the children, truly care for them and truly feel this is calling for them. We could not have hoped for a better place for her to have been. She was loved and taken care of.





The man holding Elliott is the director of the children's home.  He is a very special person.  We spent the next three days with him and he is truly not only living his passion, but doing work that many could not do.  He accepts the abandoned or relinquished children from the police or government officials- he takes them into this home- comforts them in their grief- he and his staff will the smallest of children- the malnorished, uncared for, deathly sick babies and children back to health and happiness. They give them a second chance.

I have always wondered what miracle might look like and as a scientist I have been skeptical at times- BUT after seeing the work that this man has done for just 1 child first hand- I now can say I have seen a miracle. He truly inspires me to do more.


We also delivered some of the donations we brought.  When they thanked us for all we had brought for the children, and I must say that giving is better than receiving.  I was moved by their gratitude for simple things we take for granted.





Then it was off to the hotel after a long and emotional day.  Our view from our first room. This was like a shanty town of small corrugated steel homes.


After dinner we went back to our room to deal with an issue. Traveling with me is NEVER event free. Upon arriving we discovered our shower was leaking all over the bathroom floor. Our social worker helped us with the translations and after what seemed like forever it was fixed and everyone left. Or so we thought.

While getting ready for bed we discovered they really fixed it by turning the water off. So we called the front desk and they sent someone up. Someone that did not speak any English which was very common there in Awassa.  After finally figuring out that the water was off, they turned it on and the leak began again.

So we switched rooms to a fancy room with a round bed and a balcony.  It was hot with no air conditioning and we had to sleep under the mosquito nets as the windows had to be open and the lights on the balcony attracted all kinds of mosquitoes.  Glad I was taking 2 types of medicine for Malaria....the leading cause of death in Ethiopia.

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Day 8- The Rest of Ethiopia

The main reason travelling early is so that we had an opportunity to go see where Elliott began her life. It was important for us to gather her story for her.  She is a baby and will not be able to see, smell, touch Ethiopia. 

I equate the journey we took to and from Awassa, Ethiopia as being in childbirth for days.  It was very hard.  So if you choose to read this- you sign up for that.

Secondly in international adoption, there are two camps.  Those for it and those who are against it.  I am not naive.

One of the reasons that people can be against it is that corruption does happen and innocent children can be victimized. Where there is money- it opens the doors up for corruption and evil to invade.

We needed to know her story- so we can say with 100% confidence we know how she came to be orphaned.  We may not be able to answer all of her questions, but if Elliott wants to know her story, we have gathered that gift for her.  In that process, I can say I know I too received a gift.

So the morning of the 8th day, we got up and loaded our bags on the van.  Our same driver picked us up, and we met the social worker, Mahi, that would be going with us.

We decided that Elliott would go with us.  Most family's do not take the children as it is a hard journey emotionally.   Additionally, we had to take extra medical precautions as there are new medical risks in the countryside.  As we depart the city of Addis Ababa, we see what I can only descibe as BEAUTIFUL!  I took many of the photos you will now see.




A minute on the concept of water- H2O.  Access to a fresh clean water supply and proper sanitation in Ethiopia is one of the lowest in the world. While access has increased substantially with funding from external aid, the need for water and sanitation in Ethiopia is severe.

Only 42% of the population has access to an improved water supply, and only 11% of the population has access to adequate sanitation services. In rural areas, these numbers drop even further.


When you go through the countryside, you see the ugly truth.  Sometimes children, instead of going to school, travel miles to gather water from places I had not imaged even putting my feet in.  Brown water. Some families dig ditches to gather water out front of their homes.  In the rainy season, that works.  In the dry season, they have to travel by foot or donkey to get water.
 

I did see 1 well and caught the picture.  The line was long- but well worth the wait.  I doubt waiting in line will bother me again- I will remember that at least I am not waiting in line for something I need to live!


Walking alone by the road- maybe 3 and 4 years old.  This was a common sight.  Young children helping each other. Totally the Ethiopian SPIRIT! 



The homes that they lived in.  They cost about $500 USD to build.  A laborer may make 8 birr a day or about 60 cents a day.



Small boys- age 6 to 12 were shepparding the cows, goats and sheep.  I cannot even imagine my boys managing those large animals.  Such responsibility at such a young age.

We stopped for lunch at a beach resort. You turn down the roughest dirt road and after passing countless shoeless - half naked children and small houses there is a gate and a fancy restaurant. 

The contrast.....


This beach resort was very nice.  The beaches remind me of the the black sand beach of Hawaii with brown water.  The sand is make from volcanic rock that is crushed.

It was very hot- like summer hot 90 degrees- sunburn hot once on our way to Awassa.  We got back in the van and went on our way to complete the 8 hour drive. Next stop- Elliott's first home.