Blogs from Addis Ababa Region, Ethiopia, Africa - page 6

Nov. 3 A little info about our accommodation in Addis. The Wabe Shebelle Hotel, where the team is staying, is a long established hotel, probably formerly posh, where many visiting groups stay. Presently, we are sharing the facility with a medical volunteer team from Seattle, who are involved in training staff at a local hospital, 180 newly minted Ethiopian doctors, who are in training before they are dispersed to complete their 5-year term of required service to repay the cost of their education; a male athletic team of some sort and various tour groups and individuals. The hotel is a bit shabby and was recently returned by the government to the grandson of Haile Selassie. Perhaps it will be restored to its prior grandeur. It appears that locals are subject to frisking and bag searches, regardless ... read more

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 ... read more

Oakland, CA: Tomorrow I begin my journey to Ethiopia for another Habitat for Humanity Global Village build. First leg will be flying from San Francisco to Amsterdam on KLM. There I will run, run, run through Schiphol to catch the next flight to Addis Ababa. I have only a 55 minute gap between arrival and departure. Fortunately, Boots and Ramsay will be on the 2nd flight, so maybe they can hold the plane for me! In addition to my personal luggage, which includes tools for the build, food to snack on, innumerable electronics (and their accompanying adapter/chargers) and toys for kids, I've packed a medium sized duffle bag filled with school supplies, some toys and diapers to donate to the Children's Home Society and Family Services in Addis. This is the agency through which my cousin ... read more

Long flight to Addis Ababa but all goes to plan. The expected thumped landing delivers the familiar airport before me. Short queues for visa (they failed to give me the multi-entry visa I requested last time around), then through short but slow queue for immigration and out onto the buggy, dusty tarmac of Addis. The sun is shining warmly and the permanent pollution haze hangs heavy over the city as I wait for my lift to arrive. My very welcome lift arrives, along with my two mountain companions - RL & JW. JW I am meeting for the first time but it is truly wonderful to see RL again – she’s the reason I’m here, the reason I’m heading for the Simien. So, via the gamble of an Addis cashpoint visit and a visit to the ... read more

The year just became 2004 in Ethiopia. I have been wondering as well why that is, and Still trying to figure out how to get pictures on here, soon enough! Well last weekend I spent New Years Day at my new friend Ato Simon Mechale house. His wonderful family and he were incredibly welcoming, making me feel right at home. The meal that we had was incredible, Ethiopian food at its finest! I will explain more about it when I get those pictures up. As for more about the kids/orphanage, I found out that I will be teaching Comprehensive English grades 1-4! We will see how that works out with the language barrier, but I am really excited non the less. The children have been so welcoming, the girls more than the boys but I think ... read more