Day 1 in Addis

Wow, what an exciting day!  Ethiopia has such rich culture and the people love to smile and wave at us...of course, lots want money but so far we haven't been accosted too badly.  We are really trying to experience all the culture has to offer and enjoy our stay, and so far we are having a WONDERFUL time!

This morning, we went downstairs at the guest house around 7:10 and ate breakfast with the Hutchesons.  They are a couple from Kentucky and we actually flew out of Nashville together.  It has been so wonderful traveling with so many other couples!  We all get along great and are careful to watch out for one another.  We made sure that we had prayer with the Hutchesons before they left on a 10 hour drive to meet some people in a far away town.  Our breakfast choices consisted of chocolate covered donuts, tea, coffee, freshly made pineapple juice (yummy!), cheese, cornhash, eggs, sliced bread and jam, and yogurt.

We were supposed to meet a driver in the lobby at 9:30 a.m but they did not show, so we asked the front desk lady to call our America World contact and find out what was going on.  The driver showed up about 20 minutes later but she said that we could not go to Julianna's resting place today because the person who was going to show us where her grave is located is sick.  We are supposed to go in the morning, so please pray that it does not get put off again as we very much wanting to visit our daughter's burial site.

So, we loaded-up with 2 other families and we headed to Mt. Entoto.  On the way there, we had to wait for cows with VERY long horns and huge humps on their backs to cross the road, dodge lots of donkeys, and wait for sheep and goats to get out of the road!  Many of the homes were literally shacks or huts...we take so much for granted in America!  My heart hurt so badly and I saw all the poverty around me and knew that there was really nothing I could do to make the situation better.  I love Maura Rohama so much and am so thankful that her parents made sure that she had a chance at lot of opportunities and outright life. 

Heading up to Mt. Entoto, donkeys were everywhere.  They were literally running down the mountainside strapped with wheat, barley, and wood on their backs.  There were also lots of women and children who were also carrying extremely heavy loads on their backs as well.

At Mt. Entoto, we experienced breathtaking views of Addis and was able to interact with local residents as we hiked through the mountainside.  I was worn-out but it was so worth all the huffing and puffing!  Truly, the vegetation is so lush and green here.  Everything is blooming and just beautiful!  It was a beautiful 70 something degree WINTER day in Africa!

Look in the background and you'll see a goat

We paid 10 birr which is about $1.00 USD to go into an "Art Studio".  One of our traveling partners loves to negotiate, and did a great job at buying a beautiful painting.  We decided that Meg is definitely going to lead our group in shopping and she can negotiate great prices! 

As we drove off the mountain, we stopped at the Entoto St. Mary E/Minilik & E/Taitus Memorial Museum and Palace.  I had never heard of this place but it was a suggested tourist stop, so we didn't want to miss out.  It was just amazing.  In 1875, a palace was built and Emperor Minilik I lived there with his wife, Taitus.  The very first church was built there in 1877 as ordered by Emperor Minilik II.  In 1887, Emperess Titu ordered a bell tower built.  The grounds consisted of 2 guest houses.  The rooms still had the original wooden floors and the ceilings were made of hand-woven bamboo - just gorgeous.  There was also a room that held dresses, jewels, and weapons.  Currently, there is a monestary there and we could not tour all of the grounds as it was prayer time.  The museum housed royal crowns, elaborate wardrobes of Emperors and Emperesses.  Beautiful tapestries, weapons, photos, and royal umbrellas.  It was a very education experience and I learned a lot!

Bell Tower

1st Church (See Next Picture for Description)

While we were there, we also saw a family taking a young baby into the palace to have her dedicated.  They were all dressed so beautifully.  I couldn't help but think about the fact that very shortly we will be standing in front of the congregation at Northside Baptist Church and doing the same thing!

Our next stop was shopping.  We were able to find several outfits for Maura for when she is much, much older.  We are diligently searching for a traditional baby dress but so far the only thing we have found was comprised of a shirt and pants.  We still have a few more shopping expeditions, so hopefully we will find something before we leave. 

We have been gone a good portion of the day and are rather tired.  Jason is actually half asleep on the bed as I blog.  We are eating pizza tonight at the guest house, so we won't be going out anymore today.  We are going to try to get caught-up on rest before we meet Maura Rohama on Monday.