Our group all made it safely to Washington Dulles for our departure on Monday morning. There was some stormy weather in some parts of the country on Sunday afternoon, but everyone’s flight was on time. Above, the group is about to board Ethiopian Airlines 787 Dreamliner for the 12+ hour direct flight to Addis Ababa.

After a short rest at the hotel, we were off to do some sightseeing in Addis. We visit one of the large churches in Addis, The Holy Trinity, built in the 1940’s by Haile Selassie. Then a driving tour of the Mercado in Addis, the largest organized market in Africa. Here you can literally everything…..household items, food, hardware, mattresses, construction items….Everything you can imagine and then some!

There is even a business to recycle the infamous yellow jerry cans, used all over Ethiopia by women and children to fetch water for their families.

As we are departing the market area, we are reminded of the clash of old and new in Addis Ababa. A bustling city of almost 6 million people (the capital and largest city of Ethiopia by far), it is a place where new 20 story office building and hotels are popping everywhere, but the every reliable donkeys are seen on the streets too!

Our energy is dragging a bit, so we stop off a the local Buna Bait (coffee house) for a wonderful Macchiato made with great Ethiopian espresso. It was the jolt we all needed!

It will be an early evening for everyone, as our body clocks get adjusted and we catch an early morning flight tomorrow morning to go to Lalibella to see the famous rock-hewn churches.

 

Our group all made it safely to Washington Dulles for our departure on Monday morning. There was some stormy weather in some parts of the country on Sunday afternoon, but everyone’s flight was on time. Above, the group is about to board Ethiopian Airlines 787 Dreamliner for the 12+ hour direct flight to Addis Ababa.

After a short rest at the hotel, we were off to do some sightseeing in Addis. We visit one of the large churches in Addis, The Holy Trinity, built in the 1940’s by Haile Selassie. Then a driving tour of the Mercado in Addis, the largest organized market in Africa. Here you can literally everything…..household items, food, hardware, mattresses, construction items….Everything you can imagine and then some!

There is even a business to recycle the infamous yellow jerry cans, used all over Ethiopia by women and children to fetch water for their families.

As we are departing the market area, we are reminded of the clash of old and new in Addis Ababa. A bustling city of almost 6 million people (the capital and largest city of Ethiopia by far), it is a place where new 20 story office building and hotels are popping everywhere, but the every reliable donkeys are seen on the streets too!

Our energy is dragging a bit, so we stop off a the local Buna Bait (coffee house) for a wonderful Macchiato made with great Ethiopian espresso. It was the jolt we all needed!

It will be an early evening for everyone, as our body clocks get adjusted and we catch an early morning flight tomorrow morning to go to Lalibella to see the famous rock-hewn churches.