Ethiopia Part 4: The Final Leg

Friday

Since the rest of our travel group had slipped out Thursday evening, by Friday morning the hotel was almost eerily quiet. There was only one other couple in the whole hotel, a couple adopting through Holt. Yet the entire hotel staff was still there, only working a little less-hard. They work very long shifts, many 24hrs. So there are nap rooms where they can sleep when things are slow. When we came down for breakfast the cook had to be woken up (talk about feeling guilty!).

After breakfast we went to pick up Ashenafi. He had a hard time with the changes, after just getting settled at Hannah's Hope again, so we really couldn't stay and hang around. We went back to the hotel to play and basically kill time. After being sick, hauling Ashenafi up three flights of stairs was a killer. I had to stop at each half-flight to catch my breath (the altitude didn't help).

This is the view from the stairs. The women washing clothes in the yard of neighboring homes.

We were really feeling sad about missing out on the Ethiopian cultural dinner (Wednesday evening), because it was the only activity planned all week. Usually travel groups visit the golf course for lunch, the Italian restaurant (where the paintings are sold) and/or Kaldi's Coffee during the week. We had such a large group, and Almaz really is way to busy to play tour guide for us all week, that none of those outings occurred. So for lunch Friday Almaz had one of the guys drive us to Kaldi's (it is within walking distance, but we didn't want to walk around with Ashenafi). So for a late lunch we headed over there, hoping for some burgers I'd heard so much about.

Well Kaldi's really is the "Ethiopian Starbucks", it totally looks like a knock-off (and run-down) version. Unfortunately we only found pastries, gelato and coffee on the menu, so we settled for some lighter fare. Ashenafi was really good, eating the food we brought him and just hanging out. That is, until I had to use the bathroom. He was not happy about being left with Grandma, and as is the norm in Ethiopia, was quickly scooped up by the staff until I came back (after using the bucket o'water in the bathroom to flush the toilet).

After eating, Mom went to the supermarket across the street to buy some baby food for the trip home and I hung out in the shade with Ashenafi. Outside I noticed all the lovely burgers and fries everyone was ordering (and started feeling dumb for not just asking when we ordered- apparently there's an insiders menu). It seems like all the ex-pats, foreigners and wealthier English speaking Ethiopians frequent Kaldi's (which has a guard and gate at the entrance), we got talking to a nice man with a six-month old baby named Christian, who works for KLM airlines (the airline we were re-booked on). He told me Ashenafi was a lucky baby. I told him his son was the lucky baby, he realized I was right.

When Mom got back from the store she went inside and bought several kilos of cookies to take back to Hannah's Hope. When we brought the cookies back the little ones were inside sleeping and the really big kids were off at school, so it was a really quiet time. Almaz had us distribute the cookies around to the different groups and told us, "Everyone is happy now, that makes my life so easy." This woman is so amazing, it was such a joy to do anything that would make her life easier, she works supernaturally hard.

Back at the hotel for dinner we were able to get the kitchen staff to bring us injera and shiro (which is not on the menu) for Ashenafi. The employees all eat this for their meals (just like at Hannah's Hope), I think it is basically equivalent to bread and butter for us. It's the freebie "soup kitchen" meal in Ethiopia. But it was such a huge help! Ashenafi was super happy and ate well, but they wouldn't charge us for it.

That night as I listened to all the cars driving, dogs barking, roosters crowing (yes, even at night) and calls to prayer (starting at 4am and going continuously thereafter) I thought about how quiet it will be at home and worried how Ashenafi would be able to sleep. In Addis it is never quiet, and the buildings are really wide open to let the noise right in. I wish someone would record the night sounds in Addis on a ten-hour CD we could play for the kids at home. That would be gold!

Saturday
Our last day we were the only people in the hotel. The staff told us there wouldn't be any guests until the following Sunday, yet they would all be coming to work just the same! We basically lazed around, enjoying tea in our room and meals (after waking up the cook) where the staff entertained Ashenafi while we ate. It was really strange being alone in the hotel with all those people waiting on us (and napping). And then they wouldn't even let up pay for our last night's stay. When we settled the bill, our incidental charges (all our meals, a $22 phone call, and laundry every day) came to only $134 for the week! We left a good tip, the hotel staff was so nice and helpful.

We went over the Hannah's Hope to say goodbye after breakfast. Unfortunately it was Genet's day off and she wasn't there. I was so sad to not say goodbye to her, but we left Almaz with cash for the entire staff. When it was time to go, I went into the dayroom to say goodbye to all the kids. They were having their bible study time, but when I bent down with Ashenafi every single child came over and kissed him and told him goodbye. He LOVED it, but it was also so sad. Now that we're home I keep hearing from other families with older kids from Hannah's Hope that their kids love Ashenafi, it is so special how much these kids love each other. I wish we all lived closer together.

We had an early dinner (Travel tip #4019- the "cheeseburger" at the Union is actually a grilled cheese sandwich. Which is why they look at you funny when you ask for it to be well cooked, no pink) and headed to the airport at 7pm on Saturday night for our 11:30pm flight on KLM.

Going to the airport was actually a really cool drive, Saturday night in Addis Ababa is quite the sight. It looked like downtown Seattle when a sporting event gets out, people walking everywhere. Too many people to fit on the sidewalk. They were all out on the town, dressed up (a lot of Western clothing), neon and fluorescent lights, traffic, really happy relaxed people. It was totally different from all the other times we'd been out driving.

At the airport we ran into our friend from Kaldi's and went through check-in and security (twice actually) with plenty of time to burn. We explored the airport which had a lot of nice shops and was pretty interesting, we bought Ashenafi a second (third?) traditional outfit- much like the one Genet gave him. He fell asleep in the Ergo around 9:30.

On the plane they for some reason decided to feed us dinner at midnight. This really irritated me because I really wanted to sleep while Ashenafi slept, but they kept the lights on. We flew to Amsterdam, and Ashenafi slept all but the last two hours or so. He woke up to eat all of our eggs for breakfast and play a little.

Sunday

In Amsterdam we had a 7 hour layover. Unfortunately cousin Pauline couldn't come through security to visit with us (and Ashi's didn't have an entry visa to exit security). Luckily there was good food, a drugstore to buy more baby ibuprofen (that's' when we noticed the freshly cut molars), and great baby and kid amenities. After lunch, we settled into the "Baby Care lounge", where Ashenafi took a good nap and we had a lovely rest in one of the "Baby Pods".

This was so nice! A little crib in a private circular seating area, in a darkened room playing soft music. There were even changing tables, a baby washing sink and a microwave.

This put Ashenafi is a good mood for the last leg of the trip. We had a nice bulkhead seat (next to a neurotic Bulgarian/American family with another toddler) and after playing, eating and watching some movie I managed to get Ashenafi to sleep again for about 4-5 hours. He was such a good traveler until about the last 2 hours of our 23 hour trip. By then he started crying and was just plain ready to be done.

We landed in Seattle around 2:30pm on Sunday and had to be in the long-slow line for immigration. Ashenafi and I were the last ones out of immigration, where I was informed that inside the envelope (which I wasn't allowed to open- it was sealed at the embassy in Addis) there was no cover sheet- like it was my fault or something. I thought that was funny, since it was done at the embassy and I couldn't touch it. But then when you're that tired, strange things can seem funny.

We picked up our bags, went through customs quickly and took the tram to baggage claim ( to pick up our bags again). Coming up the escalator to baggage claim I saw Belinda with the camera, but not Christian. He was waiting at the top of the escalator, and sort of shyly gave me and Ashenafi a hug. I was SO HAPPY to see him! He was so cute, quietly looking at Ashenafi and gently touching his arm. It was precious. And Ashi started crying.

When we got to the car I figured Ashenafi would have a fit about being strapped in. But he took right to the car seat and enjoyed the scenery all the way home (with a stop to buy diapers).