It was a bit hard but we left Gutu with our nanny last night so we could get some good rest in preparation for our big trip today. It was a bit easier to sleep but we are still forced to sleep with earplugs to deafen the noise of the airplanes, hyenas vs. dogs, and the roosters. At least there wasn't a call for prayer at 4:30 in the morning. We had a great omlette for breakfast (our cook Betty is fab) and I jumped on the internet for a few minutes while we waited for our driver and guide to show.
Because of the time we were leaving, we ended up in the morning rush-hour. We were gridlocked a few times but managed to make it out of Addis Ababa in about 1 1/2 hours. I don't know the actual size of the city, but I imagine it rivals Los Angeles for size. Even once we were out of traffic, it just kept going and going.
The drive to Durame was a great experience. The stereotype of Ethiopia is desert wasteland (based on the famine in the 80's) but that can't be further from the truth. The whole route is mountain after mountain covered in green foilage, tall trees, and farms on each side. It seemed everybody in Ethiopia were on the roads walking, riding in busses, or being pulled by ox/donkey/horse carriages. Our driver tended to go straight down the middle but had to honk to get people to move over so we could pass at times. He was an amazing driver. There were many times I braced and closed my eyes but he managed to make it through the gauntlet each time unscathed. There's also a lot of free roaming farm animals. If you hit one the farmer will come and make you pay for it which begs the question why he was allowing his animals on the road in the first place. Many times we came to a screeching halt to avoid a donkey, cow or goat.
We stopped in a town to have a quick bite to eat. While we were there, three vans pulled up full of more adopting parents, two of which were a couple we met in the JFK airport and flew with us to Dubai. It was just a small world to run into them in the middle of Ethiopia in the same little hotel restaurant. After lunch there was a noticable difference in the farms we saw. More and more people were plowing with oxes and the homes quickly changed from brick to the round, circle houses made of wood covered in straw/mud "stucco coating." Farms were growing wheat, corn, hay, and bananas and something used to make the national bread, injera. The children and animals run around without a care in the world it seems. There were some things that I had imagined in my head that were true like, women carrying things on their heads, children running around without pants, and women washing clothes in the brown water of the rivers. It is truely amazing. I can't seem to describe things as I see them and the pictures never do it justice. We are so blessed to actually be here and doing this. These people are wonderful and we are so very lucky to be here and taking home a beautiful little child to add to our family. I kept saying over and over today how blessed we are. I need to be pinched...it doesn't seem real.
Most of the trip was on pavement but about 2 1/2 of the 8 hours was on really, really rough dirt roads paricularly when we pulled off the main route to travel to Durame. We picked up a social worker that works for the orphanage that took Gutu in. She led us to the police station where we spoke with the Sergeant "Daniel" that was responsible for much early processing of Gutu. He knew the entire story, who, when, where he was found. We've chosen not to share it on the blog but would be happy to share it with you in a one-on-one setting. Needless to say, we weren't prepared with how emotional of a conversation it would be. He is a very, very good man who's dedicated his life to helping orphans in distress. Upon seeing Gutu, he ordered them to take him to Addis Ababa (7+ hours away) for some medical attention, fearing for Gutu's life. He said that he was very, very sick. We took pictures with Daniel and the tour guide filmed the entire conversation and will provide us with a DVD and translation of it.
-- Funny Side Stories -- While on the side of the road waiting for the social worker, we were parked in an area that had a lot of busses loading and unloading. Vendors came to sell us their stuff. One of them made me laugh. She tried to sell me her mangos but I politely responded, "No thank you." She quickly responded in perhaps the only English phrase she knows, "Thank you Jesus." I laughed.
A teenage boy came up to Lisa and opened the sliding window further and stared at her for a minute and said, "I love you. Is it okay?" She said it was good for her ego.
I was sitting in the front passenger seat with the window down and a group of boys came up to "talk" and really see if we'd give them money or something. One took a keen interest and proceeded to touch my arm as if to see if my skin was like his. I take it they hadn't had too many run-ins white people.
-- Blog Continues --
The decision to go on this excursion was the best one we made. The scenery was wonderful and the 1/2 hour we spent with the policeman will be very valuable as Gutu grows and asks questions.
We then continued on our way down into the Rift Valley on our way to Awassa. The town is a "resort" town where the wealthy come to spend the weekend (the St. George of Ethiopia). We're staying in a fairly nice hotel and just had a great Italian dinner (Ethiopia was occupied by the Italians for five years so their influence continues).
Tomorrow morning we're going to tour Awassa for a few minutes then we'll be on our way back to Addis Ababa.
Happy Birthday Mom!!!
Good night!
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