Schimke Ethiopian Adoption: Trip to Soddo, Day 1

We are so glad to be back in Addis again. We had an absolutely exhausting last two days. We left at 7:30 on Friday morning and drove straight through to Soddo and arrived by 2:30. We only stopped for a bathroom break once and for a quick coke and bathroom break somewhere else.

Soddo is in the Rift Valley, south of Addis, and it was a beautiful drive. It is more dry and barren outside of Addis, but the further south you go it turns into a near tropical paradise. There are tons of banana, avocado, and mango trees, lots of sugar cane, and the area is much more green and lush. Although the drive was long (and hot) we managed to do pretty well. I'm amazed at how quickly the girls have adapted to crazy driving. We're keeping E and G topped up on Gravol for the road trips and E could even play her ipod and not get sick. Unfortunately, ipods died after a few hours and the kids started getting a bit hyper by the end, but they managed to make it there just fine.

The roads in Ethiopia are actually fantastic. My mom, who has traveled quite a bit in Africa, said that they were much better than other countries she has visited. The biggest obstacle on the roads are the big trucks (the rules of the road, from what I can gather, is that if you are bigger, you just go and everyone else has to move around you), and the animals. There are constantly cows and goats being herded along/across the road and sometimes you have to swerve or stop to avoid them. Our driver told us that if you hit an animal, you have to pay for it...it's up to the driver to avoid it. There are always lots of people on the road or beside the road as well, but if you honk they tend to move, unlike the animals.

Solomon, our very helpful contact through the orphanage, joined us on our drive and had arranged a hotel for us to stay at. We stayed at the Nega International Hotel, which opened just 5 months ago. It is an approximately 6 story building, with about 24 rooms on each floor. The rooms were quite nice - they each consisted of a double bed (and wasn't hard as rock as our last stay in Sodo), closet, small table and chair, beautiful big window/balcony with view of the hillside, and a private bathroom with shower (and no shower curtain, of course).

By the time we checked in and were unpacked it was about 3:00 and we were dying for some food. We went to the hotel restaurant and ordered, and it took FOREVER for the food to come. It came out in stages - the Ethiopian food came first, and I think they had to fly to Canada to get the western food. We were getting stressed because it was getting late and our whole purpose in coming to Ethiopia was to go to M's birth village and would be dark soon. (It gets dark by 6). We ended up wrapping up the food and taking it to go, although I only ended up eating half a sandwich all day.

We had another few detours (we're thinking of fundraising for a water well in M's birth village) and picked up a government official on the way. Arvid couldn't believe that we could find a government official at 4:35 on a Friday afternoon, the weekend before Christmas, on short notice. For once, something was fast in Ethiopia.

Anyway, M's birth village is only about 20-30 minutes from Soddo, near a place called Humbo. The road is paved all the way, which is pretty amazing for such a remote place. We parked on the side of the road and walked about 10-15 minutes (crossing a stream) until we reached the home that M spent the first 4 years of her life.

M does not want details to be shared about who she saw/knew/remembered in Ethiopia. She told me that only family (up to first cousins) are allowed to know these details and I will respect that. All I will say is that many neighbours and people remembered her and greeted her so happily, and one person especially was so happy and thanked God and us so profusely and was so beyond thrilled to see M that I was moved to tears. That greeting alone made the expense, long flights, 10 hour time change, lack of sleep, long drive and culture shock worth it.

How did M do? Well, I think it was a lot to take in. She was so excited to see her home...she was skipping and jumping and running on the way there. However, once she was greeted by people who knew her, many of whom she didn't remember, speaking a language she didn't understand, it was a bit overwhelming. I would have liked a bit more interaction from M's side, but I also know that she is only 7 and this was such an emotionally charged event and just so much to process, even for an adult.

We spent some time there, some of it great, some of it a bit awkward when there is a huge cultural and language barrier, but on the whole it went really well. As the sun was going down quickly we decided to head back to Soddo.

We were all wishing that our day would be over, but we still had donations to drop off at the Soddo Christian Hospital. We were asked to bring a few things from home as well as child-friendly, fun fabric which will be sown into hospital gown for kids and were happy to give the last of our donations away. We will be traveling so lightly now!

By the time we got back to our hotel, it was 8:30. We had barely eaten all day - other than a great breakfast at the guesthouse we just had a bit of pop in the afternoon and half a sandwich at 4, but we were so beat that we went to bed. It was such an exhausting, but good day.

I will include some pictures below, but won't include many from M's village in order to respect her wishes:

Countryside which is closer to Addis, more dry and less trees

Entering the Rift Valley - already much more lush

A note M wrote me on the way - so cute!

My mom decided to sit up front for awhile and spent probably 4 hours asking questions. She is a true scholar - even took notes. :-) We took this picture because it looked like he was putting his arm around her (it was actually on the seatback, Dad, don't worry! :-) )

Typical town we drove through on the way

Just another day in Ethiopia

My mom and the girls HAD to stop and use the toilet...this is what they were greeted with. They all managed to use it, although one said her aim was a bit off. :-) I'm so glad I didn't drink on the way so I could avoid this.

The view from the front of our hotel in Sodo - this is a huge protestant megachurch across the street.

Our driver, Married (not sure how you spell it, but that's how you pronounce it). He's amazing - fast, safe, so sweet with the girls, and speaks English quite well. This is on the way to M's birth village