First few days in Ethiopia

Since I don't have access to regular Internet, I am writing a diary on my ipad and then putting it in when I get access, so you will get more than one day at a time. Right now, I'm sitting in the airport in Addis Ababa waiting for my flight to Bahar Dar.
Here we go....

Ethiopia Day 1

After a very long journey, I arrived about noon in Addis Ababa and was met at the airport by my cousin's husband Alimu. It is not often that I am met by someone and was grateful not to have to find my way around another busy airport or arrange a taxi fare in a language I don't speak. It was a long journey and I was tired - I did not sleep on the plane, and very happy to see Rachel, Al, and the boys Theo and Nathanial.
On the journey from Manchester to Dubai, I sat beside the nicest young man from Glasgow. It was a fairly long flight and we had some nice chats. I love the Scottish accent, it is perhaps, my favourite. He is a pilot and knew all the idiosyncraties of getting what you want in economy! He reminded me of my sons and i found myself missing my boys. What a sweet guy he was, helping a woman with her 2 little ones off the plane and into the craziness of Dubai airport where everyone is connecting to some other destination. I had to make my connection so was scurried off to my gate. My gate was #136 and when I saw the sign saying "gate 101-240", I knew there was a possibility I wouldn't make my connecting flight. Running was not an option because the airport was so crowded. I hurried as best I could and made it just in time.
It was Nathanials birthday on the 22nd, same day as my Robbie, and I brought a suitcase full of presents for him and of course, luxuries from England - sausages, bacon, and cheese!
I woke up this morning, for a split second wondering where I was. It was dark and I lay there and listened to the sounds of a city awakening, in particular, the soothing and monotonous Muslim call to prayer.
Addis is the national Capitol of Africa, much like Brussels is the capitol of the European Union. The language is Amhera and the currency is the birr.  Im finding it confusing trying to convert from birr to pound to canadian dollar. 
My cousin and her family live in a house provided by the school. It is modest, but large and comfortable. They employ two people - a maid named Almez and a gate keeper called Habtamu who watches over the house while they are not here and is given a room in the lower part of the house. As in other African countries, there is a large section of desperately poor people living in slums and then the middle class people who are fortunate enough to have a house, a job and perhaps a car. These two people that Ray and Al employ are very grateful for these jobs.
When I arrived, there was a birthday party for Nathanial and, as at home, it is attended by the parents as well so I was able to meet some of the other expats who work with Ray and Al.

Day 2

Back in sandals and a beautifully warm climate. My body is happily soaking up the rays of the intense sun and i am a little sunburnt despite sunscreen. Last night we went to Ray and Al's "local" and enjoyed an evening sitting on plastic stools outside drinking beer and watching the scene on the busy night street. Theo and Nathanial brought their latest game gadgets and were as good as gold. Once again, I am conscience of my skin colour and am regarded with curiosity. I have learned to reign in my natural friendliness and not make eye contact as it promotes people, mostly men, to take advantage and pester me unabashedly. This morning Ray went to work - she teaches high school - and they occasionally have school on a Saturday morning. Al and I walked to the school as the boys had a football game there. He showed me around the school which was impressive.


Day 3

Today we woke up with no water. We noticed yesterday the water pressure was low. Apparently a water main burst on the East side of Addis affecting the residential area where Ray and Al live. There is is a water source near their house and we noticed many people from the slums carrying jerry cans and queing up in long lines to get water. The Sheraton was closed so we couldn't go there and I must admit after a day in the hot sun and the dusty dry streets, I'm feeling a bit grubby. Such is life in a developing country.
I booked a two day trip to Bahad Dair  in the north which I will fly to. 
Being only 7 degrees from the equator, there is almost exactly 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness. The change from dark to light, and vice versa, happens very quickly. It is like this year round.

True Story

I was visiting my great aunt Winefride yesterday and she told me this story:

Winefride owns a little cottage in Wales and though she doesn't go there too often, she is good friends with one of her neighbours. Recently the neighbour, let's call her Jane - had a friend visiting her and this friend brought along her little dog. One day they decided to go for a walk in Anglesey. After a short time, they noticed that the little dog was not with them and since they were walking along the water, they became very worried. They called and called, but still no dog. Jane could see that her friend was becoming quite frantic so she suggested they split up and go in opposite directions. Her friend started off,  frantically calling the dog. After a time, she came across a couple who were out for a stroll. She was so distraught that she didn't really look at them but asked if they had seen a little dog. They politely replied that they had not so she suggested she give them her number in case they did see him and could call her. She proceeded to give it to them and when she looked up, realised she was talking to  Prince William and the Duchess of Cambridge! You can imagine her reaction! Within a few moments, and as if knowing he was missing out on something important, the dog showed up. It was reported that Kate was very affectionate with the dog and they all had a nice little chat! 

Wood splitting, knitting and Mahjong

I think it's time for me to start travelling again....

I must say, after finally receiving my long-awaited UK passport, I was quite reluctant to let it go but I had to send it off with applications for my African and Indian visas. I leave on Feb 23rd for Ethiopia where I will visit my cousin Rachel, her husband Alimu, and their two little boys Theo and Nathanial. Ray and Al are both teachers and live in Addis Ababa, the Capitol, and, as luck would have it, it will be half term when I'm there so we will get to have a good visit and spend lots of time together. After eight days there I fly to Nairobi where I will do a safari into Tanzania. It is what they call an overland tour where you travel in these big army-like vehicles high off the ground, suitable for rough roads. After spending a few days in Kenya, we will load up with supplies and head out into the Serengeti where we will be staying in rustic tents and lodges. Apparently, the  Ngorongoro Crater is where we will see many big game animals as they gather at the water hole at sunrise and sunset every day. After the Safari adventure, I head to India travelling from New Delhi to Kolkata where i hope to volunteer at Mother Theresa's orphanage. I fly back to Liverpool just in time for Easter and my Uncle Terry's 70th birthday.

I can't even begin to tell you how excited I am for this next adventure! I will have limited email access but will write and post when I can.
Thanks for reading!

Lake District - Take Two

On Sunday, the second anniversary of my Dad's passing, I went walking in the Lake District with Ruth, a longtime friend of my Aunty Angela. It had snowed heavily in the night, leaving a winter wonderland to play in. The sun was shining, the snow clung to the branches and the tops of the dry stone walls like frosting on a cake! We parked the car in a little village called Grasmere, home of the famous 18th century poet, William Wordsworth and headed out for a walk around the lake and up into the hills around it. I was so happy to be in the snow as it reminded me of home and we had a lovely day in the fresh air, stopping several times to enjoy the views and take photos. It was one of those perfect winter days when you just feel happy to be alive. Later, we had a wander through Wordsworth's home - Dove Cottage, where he lived with his wife and children and a couple of spinster sisters (single women were not allowed to live on their own in those days). It was a perfect day.

I leave you with a poem by William Wordsworth:


  Composed By The Side Of Grasmere Lake 1806

 CLOUDS, lingering yet, extend in solid bars
Through the grey west; and lo! these waters, steeled
By breezeless air to smoothest polish, yield
A vivid repetition of the stars;
Jove, Venus, and the ruddy crest of Mars
Amid his fellows beauteously revealed
At happy distance from earth's groaning field,
Where ruthless mortals wage incessant wars.
Is it a mirror?--or the nether Sphere
Opening to view the abyss in which she feeds 
Her own calm fires?--But list! a voice is near;
Great Pan himself low-whispering through the reeds,
'Be thankful, thou; for, if unholy deeds
Ravage the world, tranquillity is here!' 

---William Wordsworth 

I'm a Brit!

It's official! After lots of paperwork, obtaining documents from afar, and several trips to the post office, (not to mention a few £'s), I received my British passport in just over 2 weeks from when I sent it in. I had an interview in Liverpool on Saturday morning (yes, it seems that some government agencies are open on a Sat!), and after "a few more security checks" was told I should receive it in 4-6 business days. It arrived the following Wednesday. I am thrilled because this allows me to stay here longer and travel freely within the European Union without any hassle. The only twinge is that I feel a bit like I'm cheating on my Canada....
Stay tuned for an itinerary update...

Random Acts

As many of you know, I'm not the most astute when it comes to big cities. One of my biggest fears is train stations and making the necessary connections at the right time. There always seems to be a confusing network of platforms and I always have a little panic that I am indeed on the right one. 
I have found myself in this situation countless times over the past few months and I can honestly say I have never been treated in any other way but with kindness and helpfulness. In Bordeaux, it was the french couple who had camino shells on their packs who nodded that i was on the right platform. Though they spoke no English, we saw each other several times on the road to Santiago, smiling at each other in recognition. In Casablanca it was the young man named Jordan from Belgium who made me hang on to the back of his pack while we boarded the train amongst hundreds of others, pushing and shoving, securing a spot in one of the little cubicles. In London, it was a young woman named Heather who graciously helped me get to the right platform and explained the easy way of understanding the London tube system, which I have now mastered and feel completely confident navigating my way through any zone. So many times, people would overhear me speaking to the porter on the train about ensuring which stop I needed to get off and would often say "I'm getting off on that one so just follow me". Etc.
Because of this, I have yet to get on, or off, the wrong train and continue to trust that I am constantly being watched over and looked after as I continue my travels.
God indeed blesses me!