Ethiopia - Day 1

So we left Washington Dulles Airport at 11 am on Wednesday morning and flew for 13.5 hours.  We landed at Addis Ababa at 7:30 AM on Thursday.  The philosopher in me wants to ask "where did that day go?"  Not to worry - I'll get it back on the way home when I fly the same 13 hours, but do it in fewer clock hours.  The good news about the flight is there was ample entertainment.  From the passengers around us to the movies (I watched "Aquaman" and "Mary Poppins Returns."). 

Arriving just in time for breakfast, we met with our friend Getaneh Getaneh and went to our hotel.  We checked in at 9:30 AM.  After a brief meal and planning session for the next couple of days, we went to bed for a few hours. 

I woke up in time for supper.  We went to Dodi Jalapeno.  Yes, you read that right.  An Ethiopian restaurant that specializes in jalapeno peppers.  What's not to like?  Some of our group order fried chicken, but I ordered a pizza and a Sprite.  It's the rainy season here - their version of winter - and so it was no surprise that the rains came.  What WAS a surprise is the hail that fell!  I felt like I was back in Midland! 

Sitting with our group, it was easy to forget we weren't in Texas.  Until we went back out to the roads.  I didn't shot this video but this is a fair depiction of what we've seen in our time here.  Road lanes are suggestions and traffic lights are for suckers.  If my door is even with your front fender, I have right of way.  Unless you have the bigger vehicle.  The horn is the most important part of the car, unless you're a van/cab driver.  Then the guy riding shotgun flagging people into your vehicle or to get you in and out of traffic is.  Then the horn is the SECOND most important part.  I thought about a video where some knuckleheads connected a trainhorn to their car with a compressor in the trunk.  Now THAT would get some people moving! 

Tomorrow morning at 5:30, we'll fly from Addis Ababa to Bahir Dar in western Ethiopia.  It's far enough to fly - about the same distance as from Midland to Ft Worth.  We''ll return on Monday just in time to fly to Dire Dawa in far eastern Ethiopia.  It's about the same distance from Addis.  On Wednesday, we'll return and do one more series of conferences next Thursday and Friday before we leave to meet the rest of the group in Nairobi. 

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