We left Ethiopia a little late but managed to make it to Dubai with sufficient time to catch our connection. Little man had a pretty good meltdown but just one on this flight. We chalked it up to not wanting to leave his home-land. I can't say enough for the little bassinets they provide for you. We were in the middle of the plane (777-300) but had exit rows to either side of us. That made the leg room spacious and we still had the bassinet in front of us. This meant we could lay him down to sleep and not sweat it out as he's a pretty warm body.
The flight out of Dubai was hard. He had a breakdown as we were taxi-ing to take-off. He was just plain tired and acted like he was hungry so he just screamed and screamed and didn't want his bottle. He was very loud. The couple next to us had a one-year old and her loud comments often stirred Gutu from his slumber -- frustrating but I can't say Gutu necessarily help her much either at times. It was a very, very long flight (13 hrs., 45 minutes). When there was 4 hours left I felt like dying. Luckily Gutu chilled in his bassinet to give us some time to eat breakfast. He's just generally a good little traveler. He exceeded our expectations of him and we hope that continues for the next and last flight.
As I type this post we're in an airport lounge (highly recommend spending the $90 for the "trial offer" when you making international trips, especially with new child in hand) while we wait for our next flight. We arrived early and made it through immigration without a hitch other than the airport is very hot and muggy. I felt like I was choking on my own stench, let alone from others. Once we made it through, we checked with Delta to see about getting on an earlier flight (confirmed). You can't do that until three hours before the flight so we went to the lounge, had some snacks and took showers. Ahhh...much, much better. It was finally nice to have water pressure and the showers were very, very clean (JFK, Terminal 4, Oasis Lounge) and comes highly recommended after a long flight.
Once it was time, we made it back over to check on changing flights. Gutu wooed the lady at the check-in counter (not hard with his good looks) and she confirmed us on the earlier flight free of charge. We hope the flight doesn't run late; Talking to our kids this morning made us long even more to see them soon. Just one more flight and we'll finally be home.
Saturday, May 08, 2010
Friday, May 07, 2010
Day 10 -- Travel Day
We had the lofty goal of going to visit another orphanage this morning but decided that we had traveled some on Sunday, and all day Monday-Wednesday and we just needed a break from sitting in the van for once. We decided to spend the morning completing our packing and just relaxing.
The head nanny received a phone call that she needed to go to the care center in the morning (we later learned this was on purpose). Her goodbyes to Gutu were precious. Lots of kisses and tears. She loves all of the children but I think held a special place in her heart for Gutu since she named him after her husband. Lisa and I choked up pretty good too.
We wrote all our thank-you notes and patiently waited for our Visa to arrive. I called Korsa and he confirmed that he had the Visa and the "special envelope" and would deliver them to us. When he arrived just after lunch, to our surprise, the other families from our agency were in the van. They were on their way to visit the orphanages that we weren't going to. This was good so they could deliver some more of the care packages we put together for the kids.
Lisa and I didn't have much of an appetite for our last meal. This was all due to travel jitters I'm sure. All the in-country hurdles are gone but now we're traveling with an infant half-way around the world. We're praying he's continues to be a good little baby for us.
The head nanny received a phone call that she needed to go to the care center in the morning (we later learned this was on purpose). Her goodbyes to Gutu were precious. Lots of kisses and tears. She loves all of the children but I think held a special place in her heart for Gutu since she named him after her husband. Lisa and I choked up pretty good too.
We wrote all our thank-you notes and patiently waited for our Visa to arrive. I called Korsa and he confirmed that he had the Visa and the "special envelope" and would deliver them to us. When he arrived just after lunch, to our surprise, the other families from our agency were in the van. They were on their way to visit the orphanages that we weren't going to. This was good so they could deliver some more of the care packages we put together for the kids.
Lisa and I didn't have much of an appetite for our last meal. This was all due to travel jitters I'm sure. All the in-country hurdles are gone but now we're traveling with an infant half-way around the world. We're praying he's continues to be a good little baby for us.
Thursday, May 06, 2010
Day 9 -- Embassy Date
We spent the morning packing and getting ready for the Embassy appointment. For those that don't know, the Embassy appointment is really the whole reason to go over to Ethiopia. You go to the US Embassy to present your application to "sponsor" and immigrant so they can obtain a Visa. Tax records are needed and they ask you a bunch of questions about if this was the child you expected to receive etc. We were ready by 11:30 but I guess the traffic was bad and they decided to pick up the other families first. There is no set appointment but we got there about 1:15, just after they reopened after lunch.
We sat, and sat, and sat. The other families had two children each and we had Gutu. We were all amazed at how great they behaved. We were of course a bit anxious to see other people come and go and to be the last ones there. Some paperwork issues (wrong birth year on one document & no embassy medical for another child) that were beyond our agency's control were the snag but they hurried things through and we were all finished up by 5 p.m.
It was a big relief to finally be done with this step in the process. We still need the actual Visa tomorrow and we're leaving tomorrow night at 7:45.
Happy Anniversary to us. Eleven years today.
We sat, and sat, and sat. The other families had two children each and we had Gutu. We were all amazed at how great they behaved. We were of course a bit anxious to see other people come and go and to be the last ones there. Some paperwork issues (wrong birth year on one document & no embassy medical for another child) that were beyond our agency's control were the snag but they hurried things through and we were all finished up by 5 p.m.
It was a big relief to finally be done with this step in the process. We still need the actual Visa tomorrow and we're leaving tomorrow night at 7:45.
Happy Anniversary to us. Eleven years today.
*News Flash*
We made it through (with the other two families) our embassy appointment today. We'll get Sammy's visa tomorrow morning and leave tomorrow night to head back home. I'll post more about the day after dinner.
Wednesday, May 05, 2010
Day 8 -- Orphanage Trip & Cultural Dinner
We slept in a bit this morning. We turned in a little earlier the night before because the power went out. Just as we were about to go to bed, it came back on; so we just went ahead and went anyways. Gutu is still having a rough time sleeping. He's up all night long. He'll go an hour and then want to be held and eat and then he's out for maybe two and then back up again. We're a bit tired and can't wait to get him home and on some type of schedule.
Kidus (driver) and Agitu (agency director) picked us up and we went out to visit an orphanage that's way out in the boon-docks. I've learned that when they give you a time estimate around here, you add 25% or more to it. The 1.5 hours lasted about 2.5 hours. The road was mostly pavement (dodging all the farm animals and pot holes) but the last 10 km. was really rough dirt road.
The orphanage itself was really amazing. It was very, very clean. The orphanage director is just getting it started and has about six children now. We took a suitcase of clothes to donate to her (thanks again to everyone that helped) and she was overwhelmed and started crying. She was so very grateful. She sold all of her jewelry and valuables to open the orphanage and doesn't have much except a whole lot of love. She sleeps in the children's room with them at night to tend to them. Her daughters that are living in Italy send money home each month to keep the doors open. If someone is searching for people living a Christ-like life, she'd be on the list. We were taken to a little sitting room and she served us a great Ethiopian lunch.
The people are so very, very kind. I made it my mission to get as many to smile and wave and was very successful. They have the kindest faces and are so loving and accepting. The drive back home was a little long. I suppose after we spent all day Monday, Tuesday and now Wednesday in a van with incredibly hard seats (Lisa wishes I'd gone to chiropractor school), we'd had about enough. We saw the aftermath of a terrible accident that involved a bus full of people that dodged a donkey and flipped on its side. Stupid donkey! Just as we got back to our guest home, another lunch was served. We tried to escape without it but our cook insisted. She's an amazing cook. It was home-made lasagna with carrots (cooked in honey) and green beans. Very yummy.
Our driver Kidus took us to go shopping and we picked up Korsa (works for our agency doing all the paperwork) to help with the bargaining and to make sure we were protected.
--side note -- In my mind I wrongfully assumed that since his job is so crucial, that Korsa was an older gentleman. Boy was I wrong. When we pulled over to pick him up, I saw him wave and thought it was just another person seeking a ride but then he came and jumped in. He's actually 24 and is really cool and fun to be with.
We went to a bunch of little shops located behind the post office. We were quickly invited into each and every little 5x5 shop. Most were full of the same items such as wood carvings, paintings, and scarves/clothing. We found things that we liked but of course the prices are "high." As you walk away, it's amazing how quickly the prices fall. We didn't turn back though. There was a little store (take notes AP's -- yellow and red awning) and she had about the things we wanted. She was fair with her prices but we still had fun bargaining with her. We shared a lot of laughs. At the end of the row, there's a really big store full of all the scarves and clothes. They were pretty fair too. I have to give a lot of credit though to Kidus and Korsa who kept the pressure on them to give us the nominal price instead of the ferengi price.
The only "event" of the day was our search for diesel on the way home. All the gas stations were either out of fuel or out of power so their pumps wouldn't work. I feared we were going to be pushing but we made it to one just in the nik of time. We fueled and made it back to the guest house to relax and shower Gutu with kisses.
Two other adopting families came and visited until it was time to attend the cultural dinner. They both adopted two kids each and have their hands full; their children are so, so adorable. Yanos is around 6 years old and is an amazing little boy. He's very protective of his little brother and is extremely neat and clean (would fit in well with the Strong family). The dinner was great and it was fun to listen to the band and watch the dancers depict dances from different regions in Ethiopia. The region where Gutu is from has a dance where the men kick their legs up incredibly fast. We'll have to figure out how to put it on You-Tube when we get home.
We rolled in back to the guest house a little late and said our good-byes. Good-byes are really tender here. Each of the nannies would grab the child's face and kiss them on each side. This made another mom tear up (and us) to see how much they're loved.
Tomorrow is the big day...the big reason why we came which is the Embassy appointment. It basically completes our adoption and allows Gutu to immigrate with us tomorrow. Assuming all is well, we'll be on a plane Friday night heading back home. Keep your fingers crossed for us. Love you all.
Kidus (driver) and Agitu (agency director) picked us up and we went out to visit an orphanage that's way out in the boon-docks. I've learned that when they give you a time estimate around here, you add 25% or more to it. The 1.5 hours lasted about 2.5 hours. The road was mostly pavement (dodging all the farm animals and pot holes) but the last 10 km. was really rough dirt road.
The orphanage itself was really amazing. It was very, very clean. The orphanage director is just getting it started and has about six children now. We took a suitcase of clothes to donate to her (thanks again to everyone that helped) and she was overwhelmed and started crying. She was so very grateful. She sold all of her jewelry and valuables to open the orphanage and doesn't have much except a whole lot of love. She sleeps in the children's room with them at night to tend to them. Her daughters that are living in Italy send money home each month to keep the doors open. If someone is searching for people living a Christ-like life, she'd be on the list. We were taken to a little sitting room and she served us a great Ethiopian lunch.
The people are so very, very kind. I made it my mission to get as many to smile and wave and was very successful. They have the kindest faces and are so loving and accepting. The drive back home was a little long. I suppose after we spent all day Monday, Tuesday and now Wednesday in a van with incredibly hard seats (Lisa wishes I'd gone to chiropractor school), we'd had about enough. We saw the aftermath of a terrible accident that involved a bus full of people that dodged a donkey and flipped on its side. Stupid donkey! Just as we got back to our guest home, another lunch was served. We tried to escape without it but our cook insisted. She's an amazing cook. It was home-made lasagna with carrots (cooked in honey) and green beans. Very yummy.
Our driver Kidus took us to go shopping and we picked up Korsa (works for our agency doing all the paperwork) to help with the bargaining and to make sure we were protected.
--side note -- In my mind I wrongfully assumed that since his job is so crucial, that Korsa was an older gentleman. Boy was I wrong. When we pulled over to pick him up, I saw him wave and thought it was just another person seeking a ride but then he came and jumped in. He's actually 24 and is really cool and fun to be with.
We went to a bunch of little shops located behind the post office. We were quickly invited into each and every little 5x5 shop. Most were full of the same items such as wood carvings, paintings, and scarves/clothing. We found things that we liked but of course the prices are "high." As you walk away, it's amazing how quickly the prices fall. We didn't turn back though. There was a little store (take notes AP's -- yellow and red awning) and she had about the things we wanted. She was fair with her prices but we still had fun bargaining with her. We shared a lot of laughs. At the end of the row, there's a really big store full of all the scarves and clothes. They were pretty fair too. I have to give a lot of credit though to Kidus and Korsa who kept the pressure on them to give us the nominal price instead of the ferengi price.
The only "event" of the day was our search for diesel on the way home. All the gas stations were either out of fuel or out of power so their pumps wouldn't work. I feared we were going to be pushing but we made it to one just in the nik of time. We fueled and made it back to the guest house to relax and shower Gutu with kisses.
Two other adopting families came and visited until it was time to attend the cultural dinner. They both adopted two kids each and have their hands full; their children are so, so adorable. Yanos is around 6 years old and is an amazing little boy. He's very protective of his little brother and is extremely neat and clean (would fit in well with the Strong family). The dinner was great and it was fun to listen to the band and watch the dancers depict dances from different regions in Ethiopia. The region where Gutu is from has a dance where the men kick their legs up incredibly fast. We'll have to figure out how to put it on You-Tube when we get home.
We rolled in back to the guest house a little late and said our good-byes. Good-byes are really tender here. Each of the nannies would grab the child's face and kiss them on each side. This made another mom tear up (and us) to see how much they're loved.
Tomorrow is the big day...the big reason why we came which is the Embassy appointment. It basically completes our adoption and allows Gutu to immigrate with us tomorrow. Assuming all is well, we'll be on a plane Friday night heading back home. Keep your fingers crossed for us. Love you all.
Tuesday, May 04, 2010
Day 7 -- Awassa to Addis Ababa
We started the day with a wonderful breakfast (included in our hotel stay). Lisa loved the french toast as it seemed they actually fried it. We were a bit leery of trying their juice they made but it tasted really good and so far...so good. Our driver and guide picked us up and took us around town. It rained a bit the night before so the air was nice and crisp (not as much diesel smoke looming).
The drive back to Addis took us on a different route straight up the Rift Valley so their weren't as many hills to climb. The rain sure made the animals happy as they left the roadside to drink out of the water laden ditches. Some areas appeared that they even flooded portions of the road overnight. Farmland continued to be the theme along the roadside (along with the ever present caravans of farm animals, carriages, etc.)
The police had many more checkpoints today than the previous day. Lisa and I were in the back of the van when the driver told me to join him up front. I guess they give the "benefit of the doubt" when whites are on board as they would stop us, realize we were there, and then wave us on. With me sitting up front, it avoided some of the stops but not all. They did not search the van though today (the day before they patted our guide down).
We stopped at a roadside vegetable stand for a few minutes. They had purple onions, tomatoes, and fish. We spoke with the children for a few minutes while our guide purchased some tomatoes for his family. I saw a little girl (2-3 years old) playing and went to say hello...evidently she didn't like that idea. She saw me coming, sprang to her feet, and ran as fast as she could, crying the whole way. She didn't want to see me for anything. I went back to the van and grabbed a token offering (Trail Mix) and went back to see her. She still didn't want to look at me but stopped crying when her mom handed her the treat.
We stopped at one of the lakes to take some pictures. About 50 yards off the road, a little boy was running a ox team plowing his father's field. He could tell we were taking pictures so he waved a few times. He was really cute. I waved him to come over and gave him a snack too. His face was lit up with joy. As we pulled away, I thought to myself, "I really love this country." I don't think there are more joyful, happy, and humble people on earth.
We missed most of the traffic coming into Addis this time. When we arrived at the guest house they served us a late lunch (injera, green beans, cabbage, seasoned meat) and we waited for Gutu to wake up from his nap. He's just the cutest little kid. We can stare at him for hours and never stop smiling. We were going to go out shopping for souvenirs but I guess we wore our driver out. We spent the evening playing with Gutu. He's finally learned what it's like to be tickled and now he giggles and giggles. His giggle and laugh are really low and almost raspy.
Gutu managed to blow chunks all over our bed. Of course, his ever happy self, he just smiled the whole time while we cleaned everything up. I think he must have had a bad air-bubble cause he seemed pretty relieved when it was all over. We don't need the top two covers to sleep anyways.
The power went out this evening for a couple hours, just after we finished dinner (home-made noodle soup and very yummy pizza). I got the generator started but it's only sufficient power four a couple of light bulbs (I'm not complaining though -- better than sitting in the dark).
Tomorrow we're going to an orphange about 1 1/2 hours away to take them all of our donations (thanks DC 2nd ward). It's a newer orphanage and they have absoultely nothing for the children to wear. It will be a huge blessing for them and then will give us an empty suitcase to fill with the stuff we'll buy in the afternoon.
More to come tomorrow. Good night.
The drive back to Addis took us on a different route straight up the Rift Valley so their weren't as many hills to climb. The rain sure made the animals happy as they left the roadside to drink out of the water laden ditches. Some areas appeared that they even flooded portions of the road overnight. Farmland continued to be the theme along the roadside (along with the ever present caravans of farm animals, carriages, etc.)
The police had many more checkpoints today than the previous day. Lisa and I were in the back of the van when the driver told me to join him up front. I guess they give the "benefit of the doubt" when whites are on board as they would stop us, realize we were there, and then wave us on. With me sitting up front, it avoided some of the stops but not all. They did not search the van though today (the day before they patted our guide down).
We stopped at a roadside vegetable stand for a few minutes. They had purple onions, tomatoes, and fish. We spoke with the children for a few minutes while our guide purchased some tomatoes for his family. I saw a little girl (2-3 years old) playing and went to say hello...evidently she didn't like that idea. She saw me coming, sprang to her feet, and ran as fast as she could, crying the whole way. She didn't want to see me for anything. I went back to the van and grabbed a token offering (Trail Mix) and went back to see her. She still didn't want to look at me but stopped crying when her mom handed her the treat.
We stopped at one of the lakes to take some pictures. About 50 yards off the road, a little boy was running a ox team plowing his father's field. He could tell we were taking pictures so he waved a few times. He was really cute. I waved him to come over and gave him a snack too. His face was lit up with joy. As we pulled away, I thought to myself, "I really love this country." I don't think there are more joyful, happy, and humble people on earth.
We missed most of the traffic coming into Addis this time. When we arrived at the guest house they served us a late lunch (injera, green beans, cabbage, seasoned meat) and we waited for Gutu to wake up from his nap. He's just the cutest little kid. We can stare at him for hours and never stop smiling. We were going to go out shopping for souvenirs but I guess we wore our driver out. We spent the evening playing with Gutu. He's finally learned what it's like to be tickled and now he giggles and giggles. His giggle and laugh are really low and almost raspy.
Gutu managed to blow chunks all over our bed. Of course, his ever happy self, he just smiled the whole time while we cleaned everything up. I think he must have had a bad air-bubble cause he seemed pretty relieved when it was all over. We don't need the top two covers to sleep anyways.
The power went out this evening for a couple hours, just after we finished dinner (home-made noodle soup and very yummy pizza). I got the generator started but it's only sufficient power four a couple of light bulbs (I'm not complaining though -- better than sitting in the dark).
Tomorrow we're going to an orphange about 1 1/2 hours away to take them all of our donations (thanks DC 2nd ward). It's a newer orphanage and they have absoultely nothing for the children to wear. It will be a huge blessing for them and then will give us an empty suitcase to fill with the stuff we'll buy in the afternoon.
More to come tomorrow. Good night.
Monday, May 03, 2010
Day 6 -- Trip to Durame
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!
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!
Sunday, May 02, 2010
Day 5 -- Ethiopia Cont'd
The sounds of a third-world country filled the air at hours and hours before the butt-crack of dawn. The hyenas come into town and pick fights with all the dogs. The airport is not too far away but they have a crap-load of flights leaving at all hours. And finally the "call to prayers" start at 4:45 a.m. The Orthodox Church here not only has the call to prayer, but broadcasts the entire prayer over their load speakers. So all of that was on top of little Gutu's rough night means we've been a little tired today.
We decided to go to church with Agitu. Initally I was going to attend our own church but I have a sneaky idea all the maps and phone numbers are back at home on the printer. So we got ready to go. The bathrooms here are a bit interesting. I can't complain because we have hot water but the pressure is very minimal. There's also no shower curtain so the water was a bit hard to contain with the handheld sprayer. The best you could do is get wet, place sprayer on the shower floor, soap up and then attempt to get the water in all the right places whilst keeping it off the floor. Lisa was much better than me at all of that.
Agitu took us to her church. It was a very interesting experience to say the least but I think a very priceless memory. Lest I offend someone, I'll share the stories in private. All I can say is I hope none of us will suffer permanent hearing damage. Gutu was great though. A very big people watcher. He never cried the entire time (2.5 hours) and just became restless when he became hungry. He fell asleep on my chest on the way home and I loved every minute of it. Yes, there are no car seats and rarely any seatbelts either so a father's arm will have to suffice.
When we got home Agitu was not happy with the "quantity" of food provided by our cooks so she took us out to an Ethiopian restaurant. It's very much like the one in SLC but I'd say things are on the spicier side. She arranged for a driver and guide to meet us there and take us on a tour of Addis.
We drove up to the higher parts of the city. I'm still amazed at how traffic works. It's just utter chaos. People are crossing the streets all of the place and cars are constantly honking and dodging each other. There are roads with four lanes (all dotted lines mind you) and at one point all lanes are going one way until opposing traffic comes and then everyone shifts back over. And let's not begin to tell you about the bazillion speed bumps. I would have certainly launched us but our driver has an uncanny ability to pick them all out.
We visited the National Ethiopian Museum. There's the standard clothes and crowns worn by the Emperors but the coolest part had to be all the fossils they've collected including "Lucy." It turns out that Lucy is actually back in the states but there were tons of other animals and even older fossils on display including Salem, a little child. Our self-appointed guide was not happy with the "tip" I left him but we came to an agreement. Just smile right?
Tomorrow we're going to Durame, where Gutu's from. It's about a six hour drive so we're going to leave early to hopefully avoid the afternoon heat. They've arranged to have us meet with the police officer that found him and visit the orphanage where he was for a few days before he came here to Addis Ababa. We doubt we'll make it back by nightfall (night travel not permitted -- huge no-no) so we'll probablyl spend the night in the resort town of Awassa. We'll return Tuesday afternoon or so.
There we go...We love you all and continue to appreciate the prayers.
We decided to go to church with Agitu. Initally I was going to attend our own church but I have a sneaky idea all the maps and phone numbers are back at home on the printer. So we got ready to go. The bathrooms here are a bit interesting. I can't complain because we have hot water but the pressure is very minimal. There's also no shower curtain so the water was a bit hard to contain with the handheld sprayer. The best you could do is get wet, place sprayer on the shower floor, soap up and then attempt to get the water in all the right places whilst keeping it off the floor. Lisa was much better than me at all of that.
Agitu took us to her church. It was a very interesting experience to say the least but I think a very priceless memory. Lest I offend someone, I'll share the stories in private. All I can say is I hope none of us will suffer permanent hearing damage. Gutu was great though. A very big people watcher. He never cried the entire time (2.5 hours) and just became restless when he became hungry. He fell asleep on my chest on the way home and I loved every minute of it. Yes, there are no car seats and rarely any seatbelts either so a father's arm will have to suffice.
When we got home Agitu was not happy with the "quantity" of food provided by our cooks so she took us out to an Ethiopian restaurant. It's very much like the one in SLC but I'd say things are on the spicier side. She arranged for a driver and guide to meet us there and take us on a tour of Addis.
We drove up to the higher parts of the city. I'm still amazed at how traffic works. It's just utter chaos. People are crossing the streets all of the place and cars are constantly honking and dodging each other. There are roads with four lanes (all dotted lines mind you) and at one point all lanes are going one way until opposing traffic comes and then everyone shifts back over. And let's not begin to tell you about the bazillion speed bumps. I would have certainly launched us but our driver has an uncanny ability to pick them all out.
We visited the National Ethiopian Museum. There's the standard clothes and crowns worn by the Emperors but the coolest part had to be all the fossils they've collected including "Lucy." It turns out that Lucy is actually back in the states but there were tons of other animals and even older fossils on display including Salem, a little child. Our self-appointed guide was not happy with the "tip" I left him but we came to an agreement. Just smile right?
Tomorrow we're going to Durame, where Gutu's from. It's about a six hour drive so we're going to leave early to hopefully avoid the afternoon heat. They've arranged to have us meet with the police officer that found him and visit the orphanage where he was for a few days before he came here to Addis Ababa. We doubt we'll make it back by nightfall (night travel not permitted -- huge no-no) so we'll probablyl spend the night in the resort town of Awassa. We'll return Tuesday afternoon or so.
There we go...We love you all and continue to appreciate the prayers.
Saturday, May 01, 2010
Day 4 -- Ethiopia -- Gotcha Day!
We both woke up rather early this morning and managed to make it out of the hotel and to the airport with plenty of time. We enjoyed our stay in Dubai but the real reason for this whole trip was just hours away. The 3.5 hours on the plane from Dubai to Addis Ababa actually went by pretty quick thanks to four episodes of our family's favorite show, Top Gear.
--One side note I thought was interesting. I noticed for the length of the entire runway, about every 100 yards there was someone seated no more than 10 feet from the runway. Big no-no in the U.S. but it appears these brave souls are the bird scare team. I noticed a big 777 on the end of the runway readying for takeoff and two men running around chasing birds. --
We made it through the Visa line and luckily they allowed us to go through the "Diplomat" immigration line so we didn't have to wait so long. Lisa exchanged our money while I waited for our bags. We color-coded the luggage tags so we'd know which of us (KK, LK or Gutu) would be going without clothes but luck would continue on our side and we got all of our bags and the big, pink bag full of clothes donations for the orphanage. Our agency's director Agitu met us at the door. It was great to see her. As we left the airport she informed us that Gutu was already at our Guest House waiting for us. (insert Lisa's piercing squeel)
After a wild ride through pedestrian and car clogged streets, and then through what seemed like a four-wheeler path, we made it two the guest house. The guard opened the big, black steel gate and we pulled into the compound. We jumped out of the van and headed for the door...video camera luckily in hand. We entered the home and the nanny met us in the hallway with little Gutu. It was a very emotional experience for everyone. His nanny loves him so much. She cried and cried and Agitu later told us she kept saying, "God, please take me now." She did not want to see Gutu go. This same nanny was actually responsible for naming him too. He was one of two kids that came at the same time to the orphanage and he was the stronger of the two, so named him Gutu which means "full" or I suppose strong. The other nannys tease her that she was missing her husband (who lives far away) and Gutu is a shortened verison of his name.
We spent the rest of the afternoon and evening bonding to him. The nanny was always offering to take care of him. She'll be staying here at the Guest House through our stay to help take care of him. We did give him a bath, which he did not like. He cried (a deep voice cry) while we washed and later dressed him in his PJs.
Gutu is tiny. Even though he's 7 months, he easily fits in size two diapers and 3-6 months clothes are baggy. He only drinks about 3-5 ounces a sitting. I guess he was having stomach issues so they have him on a lactose free formula. We can't wait to get him home and try some rice cereal on him and maybe that will enlarge his stomach a bit. He is absolutely adorable....even cuter in person. His lips are very kissable. We've got to work on his head though. You can tell he prefers to sleep with his head towards one side. We'll get him on the side sleeper when we get home and maybe it will even things out. He does roll if you put him on his stomach. He neck is pretty strong but wobbles occasionally. He likes constant rocking....and he'll tell you he wants it by shaking his head like he's saying "no."
We decided to have him sleep in our room. We quickly learned why our nanny looked so tired. It took us a while but we figured out that swaddling makes him fall asleep pretty fast along with the bounce and twist move. He woke up a little while later and seemed hungry. However, we couldn't figure out why he didn't want the bottle. Did we mix the formula too strong? We went and asked the nanny and it appears we may have (I read the directions though). Then Lisa discovered the "nipples" on the bottles that had been previously used were torn and he was getting a fountain of milk each time. We quickly remedied this with another nipple and he fell back asleep. However, he woke up every few hours. At around 4 a.m. he was wide, wide awake. Nothing cuter though than seeing those big, big eyes looking for you. Hard to get frustrated with someone so stinking cute too.
--One side note I thought was interesting. I noticed for the length of the entire runway, about every 100 yards there was someone seated no more than 10 feet from the runway. Big no-no in the U.S. but it appears these brave souls are the bird scare team. I noticed a big 777 on the end of the runway readying for takeoff and two men running around chasing birds. --
We made it through the Visa line and luckily they allowed us to go through the "Diplomat" immigration line so we didn't have to wait so long. Lisa exchanged our money while I waited for our bags. We color-coded the luggage tags so we'd know which of us (KK, LK or Gutu) would be going without clothes but luck would continue on our side and we got all of our bags and the big, pink bag full of clothes donations for the orphanage. Our agency's director Agitu met us at the door. It was great to see her. As we left the airport she informed us that Gutu was already at our Guest House waiting for us. (insert Lisa's piercing squeel)
After a wild ride through pedestrian and car clogged streets, and then through what seemed like a four-wheeler path, we made it two the guest house. The guard opened the big, black steel gate and we pulled into the compound. We jumped out of the van and headed for the door...video camera luckily in hand. We entered the home and the nanny met us in the hallway with little Gutu. It was a very emotional experience for everyone. His nanny loves him so much. She cried and cried and Agitu later told us she kept saying, "God, please take me now." She did not want to see Gutu go. This same nanny was actually responsible for naming him too. He was one of two kids that came at the same time to the orphanage and he was the stronger of the two, so named him Gutu which means "full" or I suppose strong. The other nannys tease her that she was missing her husband (who lives far away) and Gutu is a shortened verison of his name.
We spent the rest of the afternoon and evening bonding to him. The nanny was always offering to take care of him. She'll be staying here at the Guest House through our stay to help take care of him. We did give him a bath, which he did not like. He cried (a deep voice cry) while we washed and later dressed him in his PJs.
Gutu is tiny. Even though he's 7 months, he easily fits in size two diapers and 3-6 months clothes are baggy. He only drinks about 3-5 ounces a sitting. I guess he was having stomach issues so they have him on a lactose free formula. We can't wait to get him home and try some rice cereal on him and maybe that will enlarge his stomach a bit. He is absolutely adorable....even cuter in person. His lips are very kissable. We've got to work on his head though. You can tell he prefers to sleep with his head towards one side. We'll get him on the side sleeper when we get home and maybe it will even things out. He does roll if you put him on his stomach. He neck is pretty strong but wobbles occasionally. He likes constant rocking....and he'll tell you he wants it by shaking his head like he's saying "no."
We decided to have him sleep in our room. We quickly learned why our nanny looked so tired. It took us a while but we figured out that swaddling makes him fall asleep pretty fast along with the bounce and twist move. He woke up a little while later and seemed hungry. However, we couldn't figure out why he didn't want the bottle. Did we mix the formula too strong? We went and asked the nanny and it appears we may have (I read the directions though). Then Lisa discovered the "nipples" on the bottles that had been previously used were torn and he was getting a fountain of milk each time. We quickly remedied this with another nipple and he fell back asleep. However, he woke up every few hours. At around 4 a.m. he was wide, wide awake. Nothing cuter though than seeing those big, big eyes looking for you. Hard to get frustrated with someone so stinking cute too.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Day 3 -- Dubai
We woke up having a great night’s sleep. It was still too early to do any of the touristy things so we relaxed until it was time to go. We walked over to the Mall of Emirates and actually beat most of the store openings. We did a little souvenir shopping at a store that seemed to be double the size of WalMart but carried similar items through-out. Since it was Friday, most people were off of work and appeared to be doing their shopping.
We rode “The Big Bus” (a double-decker) around the city and our first stop was the Jumeirah Mosque. They say it’s the most photographed and visited mosque in Dubai. We happened to arrive about the time they unleashed the speakers for the “call to prayer.” It’s a pretty amazing experience to be there when it happens. The faithful start immerging on the mosque, removing their shoes at the front door, and entering. This mosque, unlike a lot of others, allows the general public to enter, except for Fridays, so we were a little out of luck. It was still a really cool experience. Even Taxi drivers abandoned their cars on the sidewalks to attend.
The next stop was a public beach that’s right next door to the Burj Al Arab, the famous 7-star hotel built on its own little island. The Persian Gulf is Kelly’s new favorite beach of the world (comparing California, Florida, Virginia, & Alaska). Its water was very, very warm and the sand was extremely soft. We didn’t go for a swim but waded out into the blue-green water while we watched many swimmers and beach-goers, oddly enough, mostly men.
We made our way to the Palm Atlantis. Driving up the “trunk” of the Palm it was obvious the amount of money poured into this country and its developments. It was just an amazing sight. The tour guide said you could buy a small apartment for $3 million and then basically the sky’s the limit. The Atlantis pretty much lived up to what we expected. The entrance ceilings had magnificent paintings and we made our way straight to the buffet. It was a little splurge but the views of the adjoining aquarium were awesome. The aquarium is filled with thousands of fish that are found locally in the Persian Gulf. It’s starting to make us want to take up scuba diving. Their colors were brilliant and the “tank” was so big I think you could spend hours sitting there if they only had benches.
Some of our other observations about Dubai in general… 1) The cars here are really, really nice. Due to the low tariffs on cars and the obvious wealth, we’ve seen just about every car imaginable and even the “junky” cars are superior to most American cities. Kelly’s favorite was the Audi R8 driven by a white-robed, with red and white headdress man wearing sunglasses. 2) It appears if you can afford to have a family, you can afford to have a nanny and maybe a driver 3) Us “whities” are the minority. I never felt very uncomfortable but I could tell we were being looked at 4) People are very friendly, speak good English, and are extremely helpful 5) Both parents take “equal” roles in parenting. It was neat to see big, tough, decked out Muslims pushing strollers with sleeping babies. Love knows no boundaries. 5) We started to gain more appreciation for the Islamic faith. Those that are faithful, really do sacrifice a lot. If Livi ever complains about the length of her shorts, we’re putting her in a long black robe with a full head veil.
We are very glad we decided to stop by and visit Dubai. We feel rested and ready to see our little boy tomorrow. We enjoyed a little relaxation and “Kelly & Lisa time.” Tomorrow’s the big day. The 1st of May will become a new King Family Holiday. Our second boy will finally be in our arms and smothered with kisses and loves. Until then…Good Night!
We rode “The Big Bus” (a double-decker) around the city and our first stop was the Jumeirah Mosque. They say it’s the most photographed and visited mosque in Dubai. We happened to arrive about the time they unleashed the speakers for the “call to prayer.” It’s a pretty amazing experience to be there when it happens. The faithful start immerging on the mosque, removing their shoes at the front door, and entering. This mosque, unlike a lot of others, allows the general public to enter, except for Fridays, so we were a little out of luck. It was still a really cool experience. Even Taxi drivers abandoned their cars on the sidewalks to attend.
The next stop was a public beach that’s right next door to the Burj Al Arab, the famous 7-star hotel built on its own little island. The Persian Gulf is Kelly’s new favorite beach of the world (comparing California, Florida, Virginia, & Alaska). Its water was very, very warm and the sand was extremely soft. We didn’t go for a swim but waded out into the blue-green water while we watched many swimmers and beach-goers, oddly enough, mostly men.
We made our way to the Palm Atlantis. Driving up the “trunk” of the Palm it was obvious the amount of money poured into this country and its developments. It was just an amazing sight. The tour guide said you could buy a small apartment for $3 million and then basically the sky’s the limit. The Atlantis pretty much lived up to what we expected. The entrance ceilings had magnificent paintings and we made our way straight to the buffet. It was a little splurge but the views of the adjoining aquarium were awesome. The aquarium is filled with thousands of fish that are found locally in the Persian Gulf. It’s starting to make us want to take up scuba diving. Their colors were brilliant and the “tank” was so big I think you could spend hours sitting there if they only had benches.
Some of our other observations about Dubai in general… 1) The cars here are really, really nice. Due to the low tariffs on cars and the obvious wealth, we’ve seen just about every car imaginable and even the “junky” cars are superior to most American cities. Kelly’s favorite was the Audi R8 driven by a white-robed, with red and white headdress man wearing sunglasses. 2) It appears if you can afford to have a family, you can afford to have a nanny and maybe a driver 3) Us “whities” are the minority. I never felt very uncomfortable but I could tell we were being looked at 4) People are very friendly, speak good English, and are extremely helpful 5) Both parents take “equal” roles in parenting. It was neat to see big, tough, decked out Muslims pushing strollers with sleeping babies. Love knows no boundaries. 5) We started to gain more appreciation for the Islamic faith. Those that are faithful, really do sacrifice a lot. If Livi ever complains about the length of her shorts, we’re putting her in a long black robe with a full head veil.
We are very glad we decided to stop by and visit Dubai. We feel rested and ready to see our little boy tomorrow. We enjoyed a little relaxation and “Kelly & Lisa time.” Tomorrow’s the big day. The 1st of May will become a new King Family Holiday. Our second boy will finally be in our arms and smothered with kisses and loves. Until then…Good Night!
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Day 2 -- Touring Dubai
We both woke up around 4 a.m. and attempted to get back to sleep but it was futile. At around 5:15 we decided just to get up and start going. We’re going to grab some breakfast and see what we can do to play tourists for the day. –continued--
We grabbed breakfast ($30 each – ouch) and found out from the concierge that the mall and the tourist bus we planned to catch didn’t start until 10 a.m. However, with full tummies, we decided we might be up for a nap so we took one. We both slept pretty hard. We woke up about 10:30 and decided we’d better start moving if we were going to see anything today. We packed up and headed out on our adventure.
The heat of the day had only just begun. Luckily our hotel is only about 3-4 blocks from the Mall of Emirates (home of Ski Dubai) so we found our way over there, dodging a little traffic. The mall wasn’t overly crowded but we managed to find Ski Dubai fairly easily. There are a lot of information desks and almost everyone here speaks fairly good English. Seeing Ski Dubai in person was pretty neat. I didn’t realize how big it really was nor that it had a lot of things for the younger children. People on the hill and sledding seemed to be enjoying themselves. Though it was tempting to "show them how it’s done," we decided that we’d better continue to play tourist.
We looked all over for the “Big Bus Tour” and even asked around but couldn’t find it. Rather than keep endlessly walking around we took the Metro to the Dubai Mall which is also close to the Burj Dubai aka. Burj Khalifa (world’s tallest building). We made our way through the mall and found the ticket booth to “At The Top”. Kelly figured it was his good looks but Serah got us tickets to the 1:00 entrance which was sold out. We drank some yummy limeade while waiting the half-hour, tried unsuccessfully to connect to the internet (you have to still register and they send your PIN to your mobile – ugh), and then made our way to the top. The elevator was incredibly fast. You only felt your stomach drop for a second and then the windowless elevator (they have screens that play advertisements) takes about 60 seconds to make it to the very top, ears popping along the way. The view from the observation deck is phenomenal. For $30 ea. I think it’s still worth paying for. You can see The Palm with Atlantis on the end, Bur Al Arab, and the “World” islands. Of course, from that height, you can see everything for miles, and miles and more miles. This city truly is an Oasis. Dubai goes from straight desert on one side to instant construction of buildings. You can never stop counting the number of cranes you see at any given time. Its expansion is massive and obviously over the top.
We made our way down and managed to find the main entrance and purchased our bus pass. It’s a double-decker bus that includes ear-phones that you can wear to hear a narration about the city and the UAE in general. From the Burj, we went downtown and saw some historic buildings, a linen Souk, more historic buildings (unfortunately missed the Gold Souk – it was getting too late) but made it to an Arabian Dhow Creek Cruise. Dhows are wooden boats used primarily for trade between Arabic countries. Ours was of course outfitted for tourists, but dozens and dozens lined the creek sides packing everything imaginable (cars, grain, TVs, clothing, air conditioners, appliances,) for their next voyage to Iran or maybe Pakistan.
After the Dhow Cruise the night was fast approaching. We caught the Metro (very clean and efficient) to the Mall of Emirates. We fell in love with a family with gorgeous little girls and laughed along the way with them. We were tempted to return back to the Dubai Mall so we could see the fountains (like the Bellagio) but we were far too hungry so we headed back to the Emirates Mall. As you can tell, they say Dubai is a Shopper’s Paradise. I lost track of all the shopping malls they have. What’s even more amazing is they are packed all the time. We found the food court (KFC, Subway, Papa Johns, Hardees, McDonalds) and chose McDonalds as the line was short and we knew the food would be fast. Maybe we were really hungry, but that food was awesome. We thought the fries were the best. We enjoyed our food and sat and people watched. I think Dubai is the biggest melting pot in the world. You see every race there is just in one food court (with us whities being the minority). We particularly enjoyed watching one Islamic mother playing with her twin 20-month-ish boys. She was teaching them sign language and feeding them food. It made us long to see our three children.
We left the mall and walked back to our hotel after a long 10.5 hour day. I actually feel safer here than Salt Lake at any time. The people are generally very friendly (maybe it’s because we’re curiously very white) and I never once felt we were in danger. The tour guide said Dubai is one of the safest metropolitans in the world. There’s a very good military and police presence and I think that along with stiff penalties keep everyone and everything safe.
The weather is starting to get very, very warm. A gentleman in our elevator last night said to give it another month and it will be so hot we’ll lose half our weight walking around. The humidity is bearable but it wasn’t “dry” like I thought it was going to be.
Back at the hotel, we arrived very exhausted but happy with the progress we made. Short of Atlantis, the beach, and the Burj Al Arab, we’ve seen almost everything we’ve wanted. Since tomorrow is Friday (Islam’s Sunday) most things will be closed downtown so we’ll stick more around our “neighborhood” and go see Atlantis and the Burj Al Arab.
Good night – Love you all.
We grabbed breakfast ($30 each – ouch) and found out from the concierge that the mall and the tourist bus we planned to catch didn’t start until 10 a.m. However, with full tummies, we decided we might be up for a nap so we took one. We both slept pretty hard. We woke up about 10:30 and decided we’d better start moving if we were going to see anything today. We packed up and headed out on our adventure.
The heat of the day had only just begun. Luckily our hotel is only about 3-4 blocks from the Mall of Emirates (home of Ski Dubai) so we found our way over there, dodging a little traffic. The mall wasn’t overly crowded but we managed to find Ski Dubai fairly easily. There are a lot of information desks and almost everyone here speaks fairly good English. Seeing Ski Dubai in person was pretty neat. I didn’t realize how big it really was nor that it had a lot of things for the younger children. People on the hill and sledding seemed to be enjoying themselves. Though it was tempting to "show them how it’s done," we decided that we’d better continue to play tourist.
We looked all over for the “Big Bus Tour” and even asked around but couldn’t find it. Rather than keep endlessly walking around we took the Metro to the Dubai Mall which is also close to the Burj Dubai aka. Burj Khalifa (world’s tallest building). We made our way through the mall and found the ticket booth to “At The Top”. Kelly figured it was his good looks but Serah got us tickets to the 1:00 entrance which was sold out. We drank some yummy limeade while waiting the half-hour, tried unsuccessfully to connect to the internet (you have to still register and they send your PIN to your mobile – ugh), and then made our way to the top. The elevator was incredibly fast. You only felt your stomach drop for a second and then the windowless elevator (they have screens that play advertisements) takes about 60 seconds to make it to the very top, ears popping along the way. The view from the observation deck is phenomenal. For $30 ea. I think it’s still worth paying for. You can see The Palm with Atlantis on the end, Bur Al Arab, and the “World” islands. Of course, from that height, you can see everything for miles, and miles and more miles. This city truly is an Oasis. Dubai goes from straight desert on one side to instant construction of buildings. You can never stop counting the number of cranes you see at any given time. Its expansion is massive and obviously over the top.
We made our way down and managed to find the main entrance and purchased our bus pass. It’s a double-decker bus that includes ear-phones that you can wear to hear a narration about the city and the UAE in general. From the Burj, we went downtown and saw some historic buildings, a linen Souk, more historic buildings (unfortunately missed the Gold Souk – it was getting too late) but made it to an Arabian Dhow Creek Cruise. Dhows are wooden boats used primarily for trade between Arabic countries. Ours was of course outfitted for tourists, but dozens and dozens lined the creek sides packing everything imaginable (cars, grain, TVs, clothing, air conditioners, appliances,) for their next voyage to Iran or maybe Pakistan.
After the Dhow Cruise the night was fast approaching. We caught the Metro (very clean and efficient) to the Mall of Emirates. We fell in love with a family with gorgeous little girls and laughed along the way with them. We were tempted to return back to the Dubai Mall so we could see the fountains (like the Bellagio) but we were far too hungry so we headed back to the Emirates Mall. As you can tell, they say Dubai is a Shopper’s Paradise. I lost track of all the shopping malls they have. What’s even more amazing is they are packed all the time. We found the food court (KFC, Subway, Papa Johns, Hardees, McDonalds) and chose McDonalds as the line was short and we knew the food would be fast. Maybe we were really hungry, but that food was awesome. We thought the fries were the best. We enjoyed our food and sat and people watched. I think Dubai is the biggest melting pot in the world. You see every race there is just in one food court (with us whities being the minority). We particularly enjoyed watching one Islamic mother playing with her twin 20-month-ish boys. She was teaching them sign language and feeding them food. It made us long to see our three children.
We left the mall and walked back to our hotel after a long 10.5 hour day. I actually feel safer here than Salt Lake at any time. The people are generally very friendly (maybe it’s because we’re curiously very white) and I never once felt we were in danger. The tour guide said Dubai is one of the safest metropolitans in the world. There’s a very good military and police presence and I think that along with stiff penalties keep everyone and everything safe.
The weather is starting to get very, very warm. A gentleman in our elevator last night said to give it another month and it will be so hot we’ll lose half our weight walking around. The humidity is bearable but it wasn’t “dry” like I thought it was going to be.
Back at the hotel, we arrived very exhausted but happy with the progress we made. Short of Atlantis, the beach, and the Burj Al Arab, we’ve seen almost everything we’ve wanted. Since tomorrow is Friday (Islam’s Sunday) most things will be closed downtown so we’ll stick more around our “neighborhood” and go see Atlantis and the Burj Al Arab.
Good night – Love you all.
All Is Well
Arrived safe and sound. Having a wonderful time in Dubai. Will post more tomorrow morning. Love you all. - Kelly & Lisa
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Day 1 -- Travel to Dubai
We woke up, got ready and Livia, mom and dad knelt around JJ’s bed for a quick prayer and gave hugs and kisses. Becca came just in time and we loaded the luggage into our car. While doing this Kelly twisted his ankle a little but he’s toughing it out; he said it doesn’t’ feel broken or anything. We made it to the airport in plenty of time thanks to Ernesto’s chauffeuring abilities.
Each of our four checked bags made it just right under the 50 lb. limit. The flight from SLC to JFK (NYC)was really nice. Thanks to a friend, we had an exit row seat which made the 4.5 hours much more pleasant. We arrived at JFK just fine and followed the masses to get to terminal 4. We discovered the transportation method forces you to be outside the security so now we would have to go through and reenter once again. Waiting outside the terminal, the seating was extremely sparse. So after grabbing some KFC to hold us over, we went to find the Partner Lounges so we could chill there. We splurged and paid $90 to Delta’s Sky Club program so we could use the place later in the morning in SLC as well as for our long layovers in JFK. It was really nice. They had free WiFi and all the sodas, juices, cheese, crackers, etc. you could ever want. Lots of seating too unlike the masses outside.
We started getting nervous of the crowd that was developing inside the lounge, figuring there must be a larger crowd outside who are trying to get through security. Though it was 2.25 hour early, I was tired of waiting. We made it through without a hitch. We sat next to another couple who are also on their way to Ethiopia to pick up their 2 year old daughter. We exchanged pleasantries and questions but didn’t really engage much in a conversation.
We boarded the plane at about 10:15. They almost tried to take Lisa’s carry-on bag because it looked too big (wasn’t anywhere overstuffed at all). I got it to fit in the upper bin with no problem. Little did they know Tim’s backpack that folds into a briefcase weighs, much, much more. The flight itself was really nice. I like the plane (777-300) and the staff seemed really friendly and always asking what they could do. We had some dinner (chicken or lamb) both of which tasted fantastic and then we went to bed. Though the 1200 channels of entertainment were tempting, I succumbed to sleep. Before we knew it, we were once again getting ready to land.
Disembarking the plane you could feel the almost instant “oooo” from all the passengers as the heat and humidity hit you. The airport sure was nice. Lot of really cool architecture including huge fountains sliding down walls. We waited for only minutes for our four our bags and we got them all. Remember how I was freaking about the “butt-Paste” leaking all over, well they didn’t. However, it turns out someone else’s bag leaked some sort of clothes washing detergent on our suitcase. Good think we packed all those clothes in the space saver bags. They wouldn’t have been ruined but still a nasty task none the less.
After trying to get swindled from a “taxidriver” who was really just a guy with a car, I told him his rates seem far excessive so we went out to the que and waited in the real line for about ½ second. Our driver, Solomon was a very nice gentlemen from Sudan. He took us on a quick drive and gave us a pretty good orientation where our hotel is compared to bigger land and water sites.
We got all checked in to the hotel and walked around the corner to a little quicky-mart that had drinks for far less than the hotel (and the U.S. for that matter). It was a little hard but we finally managed to figure out how to charge our computer. It’s working now. We’ll lug it around with us tomorrow as we tour around until we can find a Starbucks or a place with complementary internet so we can post on our blog and maybe connect the cell to WiFi and call home and talk to the kids.
Tomorrow morning’s plan is to wake up (not jet-lagged and walk five minutes over to the mall to see Ski-Dubai and then catch the tourist bus that runs between all the sites. I think it will be far cheaper than doing taxis plus we can get on and off as we want. On our list are the World’s tallest building, Atlantis Aquarium and maybe their beach/waterpark. We want to see the gold and spice souks too.
Off to bed. See you in the morning. Love you all
Monday, April 26, 2010
On Our Way
We leave early tomorrow morning to begin the last step our adoption journey to bring little Gutu (Samuel) home. Lisa and I are pretty much packed and ready to go. Anxiety is building a little but so is the anticipation of being united with our little Gutu. Special thanks to Aunt Becca, Uncle Nathan and Nana and Papa for watching the kids while we're gone. Thanks to our friends, neighbors and family that are going to fill in the holes too. We're blessed to have all of you be a part of our lives.
We hope to keep everyone updated via this blog. It may not be daily but will all be dependent on internet connections, power and computer availability. Thank for all you kind thoughts and prayers.
We hope to keep everyone updated via this blog. It may not be daily but will all be dependent on internet connections, power and computer availability. Thank for all you kind thoughts and prayers.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Patience Paid Off -- TRAVEL DATE!
Our prayers (and patience) have finally paid off. We're leaving at the end of the month to go pick up little Samuel Gutu. We'll have him in our arms on May 1st and we'll be home just in time for Mother's Day (how appropriate). Thanks for your prayers and support. We're very excited the roller coaster is coming to an end. Stay tuned for travel posts, etc. Wahoo!!!!
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Still Waiting -- Thoughts on Patience
It'll soon be six weeks since little Samuel has been officially a part of our family and there's still no end in sight. We are still waiting on the embassy to provide us with a travel date. It could be several more weeks or months. You can easily say we're learning some patience...
Here's a few thoughts from Pres. Dieter F. Uchtdorf gave in a recent talk I heard that I believe was written just for me (many of you know patience has never been my (Kelly) best attribute):
"Nevertheless, without patience, we cannot please God; we cannot become perfect. Indeed, patience is a purifying process that refines understanding, deepens happiness, focuses action, and offers hope for peace."
"There is an important concept here: patience is not passive resignation, nor is it failing to act because of our fears. Patience means active waiting and enduring. It means staying with something and doing all that we can—working, hoping, and exercising faith; bearing hardship with fortitude, even when the desires of our hearts are delayed. Patience is not simply enduring; it is enduring well!"
"The children of Israel waited 40 years in the wilderness before they could enter the promised land. Jacob waited 7 long years for Rachel. The Jews waited 70 years in Babylon before they could return to rebuild the temple. The Nephites waited for a sign of Christ’s birth, even knowing that if the sign did not come, they would perish. Joseph Smith’s trials in Liberty Jail caused even the prophet of God to wonder, “How long?”
Here's a few thoughts from Pres. Dieter F. Uchtdorf gave in a recent talk I heard that I believe was written just for me (many of you know patience has never been my (Kelly) best attribute):
"Nevertheless, without patience, we cannot please God; we cannot become perfect. Indeed, patience is a purifying process that refines understanding, deepens happiness, focuses action, and offers hope for peace."
"There is an important concept here: patience is not passive resignation, nor is it failing to act because of our fears. Patience means active waiting and enduring. It means staying with something and doing all that we can—working, hoping, and exercising faith; bearing hardship with fortitude, even when the desires of our hearts are delayed. Patience is not simply enduring; it is enduring well!"
"The children of Israel waited 40 years in the wilderness before they could enter the promised land. Jacob waited 7 long years for Rachel. The Jews waited 70 years in Babylon before they could return to rebuild the temple. The Nephites waited for a sign of Christ’s birth, even knowing that if the sign did not come, they would perish. Joseph Smith’s trials in Liberty Jail caused even the prophet of God to wonder, “How long?”
In each case, Heavenly Father had a purpose in requiring that His children wait.
Every one of us is called to wait in our own way. We wait for answers to prayers. We wait for things which at the time may appear so right and so good to us that we can’t possibly imagine why Heavenly Father would delay the answer."
The last sentence was my favorite...something "so right and so good to us that we can't possibly imagine why Heavenly Father would delay the answer." I know our answer will come eventually, I just hope it's not until I've perfected patience as that would be a very, very long time.
Please keep Samuel and us in your prayers. Thanks for your continued support.
Here's another pic...
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Here Are Pictures Of End of Sept. into Oct.
We had a lot of fun with friends and family this fall. Here are some of the things that we did. We were able to have Sammy sealed to our family. That was a beautiful day! Livi had her Birthday Party, crazy girls. We went horse back riding with the Workman's and picked pumpkins. Later the next week we carved the pumpkins with the Workman's. We went to Gardner Village with a group of friends. We went bowling with Kelly's mom. We also went trick-or-treating. Sammy learned that one really fast!
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