Day 7 in Ethiopia (Lori)

 

Hawassa to Addis

Day 7 (note from Tom: Already?)

Breakfast at the Halie Resort. This was probably my favorite breakfast since we arrived. I am really used to what I think of as breakfast foods for breakfast. Here it may be chicken wings, ethiopian food, or anything else I would consider having for lunch or dinner, being served for breakfast. The Haile Resort was so nice, I wish we had a full day there to explore. While Daniel and I ran back up stairs and Tamenech finished her tea, Tom saw some people wearing Tennessee shirts. He started talking to them. They are from Brentwood TN, Daniel has² played lacrosse in Brentwood. There were 2 families traveling together. They had 2 adopted kids and were off for birth family visits. It's a small world. 

 

After breakfast, we went down to the lake. After getting on life jackets, we took a boat ride to look for hippos. We spotted some hippos and took a few pictures of their heads sticking out of the water. It was fun waiting for them to pop up. As we were getting ready to bring the boat back in, I see this hippo come out of the water more than any of the others. Unfortunately we didn't have our cameras ready. 

 

We then drove over to the fish market to look around. Yonas gave us strict instructions on what to do and what not to do. We all stayed very close to him. He showed us all the Nets used to bring fish in. There were a few kids feeding storks and trying to get them really close to us for pictures. Then for doing that service they wanted money. We walked through the market, where they were selling fish, cleaning fish, eating fish. Some people serving fish soup, cooked fish, raw fish, and fish stuff. 

 

All throughout the market, there were people trying to sell you something. Yonas told us, when we were all done he would have us get in the van and call them over to us, so he and the driver could stand between us. 

 

We walked into a park, and there were the biggest coolest trees. We walked around, looked at birds, monkeys, large bird nests, 2 Eagles and so much more. We came to one spot, where a guy told us to sit down, he put food in our hands, and the monkeys came and ate the food out of our hands. Another tip was needed. We walked a little farther and a guy put food in Tamenech's hands and a monkey jumped off of his shoulder and onto Tamenech's, then to Daniel, then to me, and then on to Tom's shoulder. He lined us up for a group photo, with the monkey on Tamenech's shoulder, and then ran to the other end and put food in Daniel's hand making the monkey run across all of us. A while later the kids held another monkey I was standing waiting to take a picture and a bih monkey out of no where jumped on my back, it scared me and I may have scared the monkey away. At one point some kids asked if we walked to see them dance, we said sure. When they finished they wanted money. We walked down to the lake. When we walked back to our van all the kids selling stuff, were right there waiting for us. Yonas quickly got us in the van. Me. Gold and Yonas blocked the entrance to the van and began showing us what the kids were selling. This will be the third time that we have purchased souvenirs. The kids would tell us a price for the item and Yonas and Mr Gold would say no, you pay him this much. We got some pretty good deals. 

 

Today was a relaxing day in between birth family meetings.

 

In some ways, it seems like we just here and in others it seems like we have done a lot. It will be sad to leave Saturday. 

 

This trip is amazing because of our incredible leaders.

 

Our drive back from Hawassa was about 5.5 hours. It is am entertaining ride. Watching it the window we saw goats, cows, donkeys, and camels. I am not meaning I saw them in a field or fence, some were in the middle of the road. Our driver was always dodging animals. I love looking at the huts, mud house, shops, people on the side of the road, and crazy traffic. I have no idea how Mr. Gold does it. 

 

When we got back in town, Yonas dropped us off at the Amsterdam for dinner. Yonas and Mr. Gold went to have raw beef for dinner. This was my favorite dinner. I have been under the weather since we got here. I really haven't had much to eat, but tonight I ate good.

 

We then headed back to the Elmos Hotel where worked on the donations for tomorrow, and trying to figure out how we get all these souvenirs home. 

 

I am so thankful that Daniel and Tamenech have had such an amazing time and made connections with birth families. 

 

These will be great memories.