Getting Adjusted

We made it! After 26 hours of travel, three flights, three security checks (one in which Jeff got searched because of his suspicious-looking backgammon set) and many uncomfortable sleep positions, we have arrived in Ethiopia. We are still jet lagged and feeling quite queezy, but all-in-all thrilled to be here.

Our guesthouse is simple but clean and comfortable. The meals here are delicious. And we have flush toilets and hot showers -- both a luxury in this country. That said, the internet in Addis Ababa is spotty at best, and the power goes out occasionally. (More on that later.) Tomorrow, those hot showers will go away since there is no city water on Fridays and Tuesdays. So after I write this, I will hightail it upstairs to get clean.

Yesterday was spent getting acclimated. We showered and napped, then took a walk to get Birr (Ethiopian currency) and take in the environment. Let me just say that Addis Ababa is a cacophony of sites, sounds, sensations and smells. Sites of the hundreds of vendors selling their wares along the street -- everything from flipflops to plastic containers to papayas to sticks one can use to clean one's teeth. Sites of women draped in bright-colored headcloths, often with their babies strapped to their backs; children begging in Amharic, touching their

mouths to indicate they need food. The sensation of the crumbling sidewalk under our feet, the moist air warning that a rainstorm is coming. The sounds of honking horns; chants being amplified from mosques, orthodox churches and catholic churches almost every hour. The thick smell of car exhaust, smoke from roadside coffee ceremonies and from corn-roasting stands. And everywhere we go, the sense of being on display as we are so clearly not from this land. Except for the mission groups and missionaries sharing the guesthouse with us, we haven't seen any foreigners since we arrived. All of this has taken some getting used to. We're not accustomed to being so conspicuous. 

 Today, we played tourist with our tour guide Genaye (sister of our friend Selam). She took us to the Addis Abeba Museum and the National Museum, where we learned of Ethiopia's proud heritage first as a functional and ethical monarchy that refused to succumb to Europe's attempts to colonize them; then as an oppressive communist country; and now to a relatively healthy democracy trying to modernize and create opportunity for its people. The National Museum, by the way, is also known for being the home of "Lucy," the remains of the oldest human ancestor (3.2 million years old). 

After a fantastic lunch of Ethiopian doro wot, fir fir and shiro, we made a long bumpy

journey up the mountain to Endoto, the site of the first Ethiopian king's humble "palace." Sadly, the museum there had lost power, so we relied on our very kind tour guide to shine his tiny flashlight at all the treasures and try to describe what we were seeing. It was somewhat humorous but also a bit disappointing.This country is such a gem of history and culture, and we're trying to take it in from every angle. 

Postscript: I just made it halfway through my shower before the water stopped, conditioner still in hair and body unwashed. Then the internet went down for the night. I guess that's one "angle" I'd prefer to live without -- water and energy shortages!