Arrived in Addis - sort of

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The trip started out rather poorly. Arrived in time at SFO thanks to Moose, checked my luggage through to Addis and got to the boarding gate in plenty of time. Then I learn, oh-oh, the flight is delayed, and I have a 55 minute window between deplaning and boarding my next flight in Amsterdam. Find out some inspectors are going over the plane before boarding can be allowed. We leave 45 minutes late - I'm screwed. Add to that the fact that I'm in a middle seat on a 10 hour flight. 3 movies and 2 meals later, we finally land in Amsterdam at 9:50 am and my next flight leaves at 10:10. I have been rebooked on a flight scheduled to leave in an hour via Nairobi. I have no way to let Boots and Ramsay know that I am still on my way to Addis, but no longer will be on the plane with them. Bad luck continues, the plane for Nairobi is delayed due to "technical" problems. This flight does not leave until 1:30 jeopardizing my connecting flight in Nairobi! The only bright spot is that I have been assigned a seat in economy plus, where I not only have an aisle seat, but extra leg room in a 2-seat row and will be able to deboard before the bulk of the passengers. My seat-mate is from Birmingham, AL, on his way to deliver 180 pairs of shoes to an orphanage in Kenya. So I watch another movie, 2 more meals and we land in Nairobi. I'm met at the gate and escorted along with 2 others to the waiting plane to Addis. Next question: where is my luggage at this point? Arrive in Addis around 12:45 am and change some currency so I can take a taxi to the hotel. Go to baggage claim and of course, no luggage. Then I discover the agent in Amsterdam kept my original boarding pass with the luggage claim tickets attached. The baggage service person initially says it is impossible to trace my luggage, but a more experienced person is able to discover the bags are still in Amsterdam. I am given a phone number and reference number and instructed to phone the next day. The taxi service desk in the airport gets me a taxi and I reach the Wabe Shebelle Hotel at 2 am. The place is dark and the doorman refuses to let me in until he believes that I have a reservation. Finally get checked in and get to bed around 2:30 am. In the morning I find the rest of the team that have already arrived at breakfast. It is now almost dinner time and I am getting tired of wearing the same clothes. The next flight from Amsterdam will not arrive until 9:30 pm, so even if my bags are on that flight, I will not be able to get them until tomorrow morning. I bought 2 shirts today so at least I don't have to wear a sweater in the heat of the day, but these cords are getting old.
Today we visited the National Museum and took a short drive around the city.
Bright spots: the hotel has free wi-fi (only in the lobby), coffee is really good, people are mostly friendly.

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