May 20, 2007 Journal Entry

It is morning and the sun up. We will leave soon for breakfast. Breakfast is included with our accommodations and I'm looking forward to it. I hear it is delicious.

Last night arriving in Addis was long. We had to first receive our Visa. It is not like Canada where there are numerous staff and counters for one process. There is one line and one window where a couple of staff members hand writing each visa in each passport. We then gathered our luggage and had it cleared by military before going through the big glass doors into Selemnah’s arms. Selemnah is our amazing all-purpose man, which sounds insulting for what he does. He protects us, guides us, translates for us, and helps us with the children ... just to name a few "tasks".

Everywhere around the airport was military, which makes it eerie. Secure, yet not.

Driving is funny, although I've only seen about 10 minutes of it during the drive from the airport to the guest house. No stop signs or lights so far, just round-abouts and U-turns. No signals really, but a honk to a person on your right as you pass. No accidents. Back home you honk when you are mad. With all the honking here, there would be absolute chaos in Vancouver. People here also know how to use a round-about.

The Weygoss House is nice. Big room, warm showers. Very hard pillow though; like a brick. I have one serious headache. Here's a couple view shots from our guest house.

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We walked about 2 minutes from the guest house to buy a case of water and a pop for the gate watchman at the guest house. Within 30 seconds, a young boy asked us to pa

y for his uniform for school. I could only feel sad, he waited for us outside the store and I gave him a granola bar. Lyle talked to him for a bit before he ran off. We warned later that they can’t prove they’re going to school so not to give them the money they request. Besides, if you give money, you’ll fast have a crowd around you expecting the same.

We met Wegayoh and Robel for lunch and a tour. We know their family members in Vancouver. We had pizza which was way better then back home, and virtually no grease. We had some long discussions about incomes and poverty. For e.g. a lawyer earns about 2,500/

month. The average person, such as the gate guard, earns about $180.00/month. No one can afford houses. Few “normal” people have cars. Most cars are taxis.

We then went to Piazza, following a brief stop at the black market to transfer money. Walking the sidewalks broke my heart. The begging is so sad and I felt so guilty. I have so much but am not giving. I got to the point that offering a granola bar was insulting, at least that’s what I felt. I took some photos, but not ones that showed the people at their worst – or what I may feel is their worst. I tried not to take invasive photos – ones with people in it. I tried to just take photos of the effects of poverty.

Like the river with a hillside river bank on either side. Little tin huts, just enough to shelter a person from the rain if they curled up. People washing clothes, and food and drinking from the river, but you see the tin outhouse half way up the hill with the hole on the side for everything to drain into the river.

We saw a man crawling on his knees, bricks in hand as he drug his crippled legs behind his thin body.

Robel says you get used to it if you’re here long enough. That doesn’t seem right.

On a taxi a family of five brought me smiles. The 3 year old little boy thought I was “cute”. Didn’t say anything about Lyle, just me. Asked if he could touch me. One other boy, maybe it was a girl, came to me with his/her mom wanting to shake my hand. They were not people begging, just curious kids.

Here is a photo of one of the good-looking public schools. Would you send your child here for kindergarten?

We went to the Orthodox church. The guard saw my camera so out came the expectations of paying to take photos. Wegayoh paid 50 Birr for us, but it also meant we got a full tour. It was so interesting, and absolutely beautiful. Here is a sample of some of our many photos of the beautiful stained glass and architecture.

Parliament was next door but we are forbidden to take photos. The armed military around it kept me from even a sneak.

The taxi ride home was quick. I am no longer scared of a certain friend’s driving in Vancouver. [ha-ha] This was quick and all over. We continue to be safe though, meeting H. back at the guest house.

We visited for a while before going for Indian food. I also bought a very soft pillow [43 Birr = $5.00 US]. I look forward to a better sleep tonight.

Oh – we got the lost pictures back. They were on the iPod, but some setting changed so we could not see them before. That’s good news.

Robel and I walked past a fruit stand. He told me the price of apples was 25 to 27 Birr [$3.00 US] per pound. He then compared that to the average wage of 10 Birr per day. Apples, he said, were a rich man’s food. Would you pay 3 days wages for a pound of apples? ~ Lyle