Arrived in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Heading to school.  The blue vans are public transportation.

The city of Addis early in the morning.

This building houses the gym that we may join.

Tried to capture the beauty in the background.  Didn't quite do that.

Tidbits on Addis Ababa, Ethiopia:

Addis Ababa in Amharic means 'New Flower.'  Addis is a very colorful and vibrant city that truly has grown on us.  The climate is beautiful, even during the rainy season which runs from May-Augustish.  The temperature is around 75 degrees year round, yet cools off in the evenings. We don't need central heating or air.  Even though it is the third largest city in Africa, it still has rural aspects such as donkeys trotting in the road and goats grazing on nearby grasses.  Traffic may seem a bit chaotic to westerners, but it make sense and works in this city.  I probably won't venture out any time soon driving on my own as people and animals dart into the roadway; that makes me a tad bit nervous!  If you are wondering about safety, let it be known that Addis is a very safe city.  Pick-pocketing and theft are the main concerns here.  I'm looking forward to visiting the Merkato, one of the largest outdoor markets in Africa, as well as the many museums.  Ethiopia is known as one of the ten poorest countries in the world, yet Addis has many fine hotels, such as the Sheraton and the Radisson.  The restaurants range from Armenian to Middle Eastern and Korean, with excellent Italian, French, and Swiss restaurants as well.  Best of all, the people in Ethiopia are friendly and very laid back. 

Day 1:
We made it to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on July 8th, just after midnight.  By the time we got through customs and out of the Bole International Airport, it was 1:00.  We quickly made it to our new home and spent a couple of hours unpacking our bulky duffel bags.  Because of this, we accidentally overslept and missed our driver and ride to school!  Exhausted but excited, we spent the day filling out paperwork for our work permit and phones.  The staff at ICS is so helpful, they walked us through the paperwork and drove us everywhere we needed to go.  

We also met our maid/cook.  Her name is Hadjiba and she is outstanding in the kitchen.  We also met our two guards, Beyene and Bizuneh.  We are so lucky to have such wonderful people working for us.

A friend had us over to her house to celebrate her newly adopted baby boy, and then we went to the Radisson for a fancy dinner.  It was delicious!

We lost power for a while, but we have a house generator as a backup. 

Day 2:
Michael worked and a staff member gave me a tour of the local grocery stores and produce markets.  The stores are small and it took me some time to get a handle on converting birr into dollars in my brain!  A little goes a long way here.   I had quite a list of items to buy, thank goodness I had help.

We had a friend over for dinner and headed to bed early.  Lost power again this evening.

Don't worry friends...I will not journal every day on this blog! :)