Day 5- Arrive in Addis Abba and Meeting Elliott

Abel- our guide

We arrive at the airport at 8:00 a.m. Ethiopia time, make it through customs, obtain travel visas, exchange US dollars for Birr, retrieve all of our luggage, rescreen the luggage, and meet Abel. Abel is the adoption agencies guide that is responsible acting as our guide for the timem we are there.  

We also meet our first driver and another family from the same flight that is picking up their son. After loading all the luggage on the van which is no small feat, we learn that we are going right away (with no sleep in 30 hours) to pickup Elliott!!

Our Driver

We are excited, but disorganized. Originally we were told that we would be going to the guest house to rest first, but that was not the case as Abel only had a window of time in the late morning to get to the child care center.

We look out the windows on the way to the center, and I can only classify the view as pure shock. There was only one traffic light that we saw in all of Addis Ababa, and there are cars, buses, vans, taxis, people, cows, goats, stores EVERYWHERE. It is like Time Square with animals and much more dirt…. We were so focused on our imminent meeting with Elliott that I really did not soak in what I was seeing.

We arrived at the center. Here are the photos of our first meeting with Elliott and of some of the children.

It was very emotional in so many ways. To see her and touch her finally- to see where she was staying and to meet those that cared for her. Her special mother (special nanny) just sobbed and sobbed at the thought of Elliott leaving. They took such good care of here, and she was there for 6 months- much longer than the normal. It was very hard and after about 20 minutes we got back in the van with Elliott and drove away. It was surreal.

Day 5- early morning Dubai Airport

We arrive in Dubai on time around 11 p.m. Our flight is not scheduled to depart for Ethiopia until 5:00 a.m. This makes for a long night…. The Dubai airport is interesting. The clocks are Rolex and there is a “shopping mall” in the airport.

My sister and I could not really sleep on the first flight as the anticipation is too much. So we grab something to eat in Dubai as the food of the Air France flight is not really eatable.

We have to be back at the Ethiopia Airlines counter at 1:30 a.m. to check in so we decide to try to rest for an hour in the quiet area.

You have got to be kidding me- no one can sleep in Dubai! The airport security decided to park some loud beeping cart outside the “QUIET AREA.” We give up and head to the counter. Once we try to check in, we learn that Air France did not handle our baggage correctly. They forgot to give us a voucher for Ethiopia Air. After another 90 minutes dealing with the luggage and $100 dollars we are able to finally go try to lay down again under some palm trees.

I guess 2:30-4:00 a.m. must be a popular arrival time, because flight after flight comes in and the passengers move through the airport. It was impossible to get any rest- IMPOSSIBLE.

We board the flight. Interestingly, they are supposed to board by zones, but instead it is like mass chaos. The people mob toward the plane, and only let the elders or people with small children board first.

It is the first time in my life that I have felt like a minority. The passengers are all staring at us, but it is something that we will need to get used to. It is just the beginning of major culture shock…

Day 4 Part 1- Travel to Paris Airport

We woke up early on the morning of the 8th and got out of the hotel without much incident. Goodbye Paris!

The bellman at the Marriott tried to put our luggage in a couple of small Mercedes. No luck there. They finally stuck it in a hatchback VW and put a bag in the front. The taxi took us to the airport very quickly. This was good because Air France, Delta and I had a small disagreement over the baggage policy.


I basically won or so I thought. Let’s just say I may be banned from Air France again.

Air France tried to limit us to one 50 lb bag each and one purse- we have 6 bags and 2 backpacks. I called 4 separate times to make sure I understood the regulations before packing the bags. I have a letter from the social worker that the baggage is filled with humanitarian aid- special high calorie formulas, vitamins, medicine, etc.

One rude Air France rep told us no way could we take our bags and we said no way we were leaving them. She said we could pay and it would be $1200 USD a bag. So I got a little frustrated and told her to call Delta. So she called I have no idea where to talk to one undertrained Delta agent (or she was good actress.) After agreeing to take one more bag for us- but not the other three- I asked for a supervisor. She tells us should go to Delta customer service to write a note. We got out of line to go to Delta.

I keep pushing with the undertrained Delta agent until the Delta manager tells his Delta agent that she is wrong on the policy that she told Air France. He acted like no big deal! I knew she was wrong, because I have literally called 4 times to make sure I knew the policy.

So Delta has to call to tell Air France to check our bags. We wait in line again. Finally we get told we have to pay 100 Euro- which is still wrong- But I paid it so I can get through the gate without putting all my clothes on to get the baggage under the weight limit. I would have – trust me!!!

2 hours later we are at security. Good thing we left early, because there was no way that I was leaving France without those items that one of the orphanages needs desperately.

Backtracking- Paris Day 3

I was able to put some pictures up orginally for Paris, but I will add some more from day 3.

Originally we were going to go Versailles but we decided to go with a more diverse experience. So instead we headed up to Montmartre. We ate lunch at a little restaurant where they spilled French Onion soup on my sister. We then walked up hundreds of steps to see the Basilique du Sacre Coeur. The view of Paris were great and the inside of the church was beautiful. They don’t allow pictures so you’ll have to trust me. We saw some really good street performers during this trip, music, magic, etc. But our favorite one we saw today in front of the Basilique. He did soccer tricks. We videotaped it for my son John because he has played soccer since he was 4.


Next we wondered through some of the streets and then took the Metro to Les Catacombes. I had really wanted to see them and since it looks very interesting. We were lucky enough to be the last group let in. Les Catacombes one and half miles of sometimes narrow, always winding and dark tunnels filled with the bones of people who died in the 1700’s.

I have enjoyed Paris and I am glad we came but I am ready to move on. I am ready to get to Ethiopia. But first I have to get there. We have to leave for the airport at 7:30 tomorrow. We have a 6 hour flight to Dubai, a six hour layover and then a 4 hour flight to Addis Ababa. We get in about 8:00 on Tuesday morning.

Time to move on....

Home

We arrived home on schedule on Saturday! The travel was long, but we all did well except for a 20 minute span on our 16 hour packed full flight from Dubai to Alanta when my sister was sleeping.  Under my watch, my 8 month old niece decided to pour orange juice on my shirt, spit french toast on the floor, throw up milk on my pants, create a dirty diaper and stink up the front row.

In the Atlanta airport, I was looking my worst.  I hear, "Terry?"  One of my former co-workers and now frequent lunch buddy in Cincinnati comes up behind me and gives me a big hug! She was travelling on vacation and it was good to see a familar face even if I looked like I have been travelling for 36 hours...

I am so glad to be home- I am adjusting to the time change of 8 hours so I am still off schedule.  Unlike most of my travel companions, I am feeling well.  Hopefully by tomorrow I can be back on normal schedule.

I will start to put up the pictures and accounts of my adventures!

Out of Africa

Hi!

This morning we left Addis Ababa and have arrived in Dubai.  We have a long joourney home- almost 42 hours so keep us in your thoughts. 

My niece is doing wonderfully, and my sister and I are fine too.  I must say that my experience in Ethiopia was amazing, heartbreaking, and renewing all at the same time.  Next week I will blog my experiences and add lots of pictures once I have a US internet connection and not a dial-up modem. 

I will simply leave it as - there is no place like home!  We will be there soon!

Terry

Greetings from Ethiopia!

I am in Addis Ababa tonight!  We arrived on Tuesday and picked up my niece right away.  She is sooo wonderful.  She is a great baby and fairly predictable.  My sister is doing great too! Today we are finally feeling normal today which was bad due to about 36 hours without much if any sleep.

There will be no pictures from here as I am on a dial up connection and have a cell phone almost exactly like I had in 1990.  Once I get home I will post plenty of photos with details so that you can see what it is like.

Having planned to come here, I read books, watched videos, and saw literally thousands of photos.  I can tell the in person experience can not be captured in a photo or in words.  It is something that you must experience yourself.

I will share a little of my day with you today.  We awoke at 6 a.m. Thursday in Addis which is 10 p.m. est Wednesday.  We are staying in a guest house that can accomidate 4 families.  Since we came early - we are the only ones here which is very nice. We started our day with pancakes make from wheat flour and peanut butter- just like home as I did not have to cook or clean up! We then were picked up by the driver who takes us to the other guest house to pick up another family.

The city is very busy- kind of like Chicago or New York except there are no traffic lights.  Somehow the traffic stays orderly for the most part.  There is a lot of honking and our driver is quite amazing trying things I would never do.

We went to the Ethiopia National Museum.  There is many artifacts from the history of Ethiopia.  It was interesting but having just gone to Paris- it is hard to compare.

After that we were able to go to the lion cage!  It is literally a lion cage in the middle of the city.  We hit feeding time just perfectly.  There were about 150 small school age children there too.  They were very friendly and I think we were as interesting as the lions.  They waved to us and us to them.  The lions were literally 18 inches from us through medal bars and chain link fence.  I was something you would not see in the US!  If the lions became aggressive they would squirt them with hoses.

We have lunch at a nice restaurant.  It was around 234 burr for 2 adults.  That is around $18.  Interestingly the restaurant was filled with foreigners.  The food is good here and our guest house owners are amazing.

In the afternoon we returned to the guest house around 2:30 p.m. and about 15 children from the orphan home that you guest house owners run were here.  A social worker from our agency was also here to observe and gather data on the 4 children still in need of a home.  It was heartbreaking and glorious all at the same time.  They reminded me so much of my own children.  A 10 year girl is the same no matter where you are!

The children so love life and did same amazing dancing and games for us as the social worker gathered the information from our guest house owner who also helps her husband with this ministry.  Elliott my niece loved them too.

 They also feed 400 children every Saturday and started a social services for children to stay with their families.  720 are in that program today receiving medical care, schooling, clothes, and food for $1 USD a day sponsorship from foreigners.  Next time you think you have too much to do consider the mission of these two individuals.  Of course they have help- but they are truly amazing people.

Tonight we have a traditional Ethiopian meal and it was very good.  Tomorrow early we leave for a 5 hour journey to Awassa where Elliott was born and first came into care. Send us positive thoughts as it is a long journey by most peoples standards through the countryside and safety while there.

We will return to Addis on Sunday to begin our final legal preparation to leave Ethiopia.

Hello from Dubai

We arrived in Dubai safe and sound around 11 p.m.  The flight was a little long- but all is on time which is good given the length of the journey. We have a six hour layover and then on to Addis Abba. 

Air France finished better than it started but I will leave that for another post. The Dubai airport is like a shopping mall,  though the alarms that go off every 60 seconds make it hard to sleep.  The food is also intersting- McDonalds, DQ and some American pizza restaurant were the three main choice.

Next stop AFRICA!!

Paris day three

Day Two Paris

We had another busy day in Paris. We went to Notre Dame and that was beautiful. I was surprised how crowded Paris attractions are in Feb. We also saw a French wedding in progress.

We went to Musee de Orsay and I would not say that was my favorite attraction. I like Art but most of it is not my style if you get my drift. The subject matter was not interesting to me – if you have seen many Roman or Greek art or some impressionistic art works- you know what I mean.

We walked along the Siene and the food here is very good.

Bonjour! Greetings from Paris.

We left Cincinnati on time without issue on Thursday the 4th. The airline took all our bags and did not charge!
The plane, a 767,was not too full so we got the whole row to ourselves. This is a luxury I know does not happen often on intercontinental US flights. We were able to get a few hours of sleep. There is a picture of the flight as we arrive in Paris at around 8:00 a.m. on the Friday the 5th.
Our baggage all made it to CDG and we were able to go through customs without issue. I had scheduled a shuttle for about 1 hour later- but a taxi driver approached us. I thought- there is no way this guy is going to be cheaper than the shuttle I had scheduled- but after using my negotiation skills I was able to get him to 30 Euros- 10 Euros cheaper than the shuttle. There was only one catch- we had to drop off another passenger first!
So we follow him to the garage where he proceeds to pack the car with all our luggage in and off we go. The passenger was just returning from Africa- and he nor our driver spoke much English. Very interesting. About 90 minutes later we finally arrive at the hotel- Marriott. I was fine my sister was car sick.
We got into our room and settled. Then the adventures began. We used the Metro to get around which was easy to navigate. Here our photos from the day….More later.

The Louvre

Arc de Triomphe

Tour Eiffel

Almost Ready

I feel like a kid on Christmas eve. 

Not quite sure what tomorrow will bring, but I know it will be exciting!

Two days to lift off...

In two days, my sister and I plus our 350 lbs of luggage will take a journey to the airport!  Our iternary is as follows:

2/4/10 - Leave for Paris

2/8/10 - Leave Paris for Addis Ababa

2/9/10 - Meet Elliott Meron

2/12/10 - Travel to Awassa

2/14/10 - Return from Awassa

2/16/10 - Embassy Appointment

2/18/10 - Pick up Visa

2/19/10 - Leave for home

2/20/10 - Arrive home

We can hardly wait!!

Introduction

This blog is to chronicle my sister and my trip to Ethiopia to pick up my eight month old niece- Elliott Meron!

Enjoy this journey with us!  It has been a 3 1/2 year journey for my sister and our family.  We embrace what tomorrow will bring!

We must be willing to get rid of

the life we’ve planned,
so as to have the life that is waiting for us.
The old skin has to be shed
before the new one can come.
~ Joseph Cambell