anyone been to Ethiopia

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deejayjay
Posts: 408
Joined: Sat Apr 07, 2007 2:42 pm
Location: Kansas

anyone been to Ethiopia

Post by deejayjay »

The process that was started almost 2 years ago has finally happened. We have a new grandaughter. Lyra Yididya. 5 1/2 months old. Adoption is finalized and son and daughter-in-law and my husband will be travelling in the next month to bring her home. Just wondering if anyone has been to Addis Ababa. They will fly Ethiopia Airlines, and be there about a week. Any advice? Things to see? Precautions to take? Thanks
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RickG
Posts: 5397
Joined: Wed Aug 23, 2006 3:06 pm
Location: Coral Bay, St. John

Post by RickG »

I think I've already posted this, but here's what I heard from Chris O'Brien at www.BeerActivist.com:

"Try dinner at Fasika restaurant just off Bole Road. It's basically for tourists but the food is great and the entertainment is awesome and they have several types of t'ej including onion, garlic, lemon and other types.

The other must do is to visit the Meta Depot. Meta is a brewery outside Addis. The brewery itself is well worth a trip for a nice nature walk and horse ride and fresh unfiltered beer but if they can't make it to the out of town location the other great option is the 'depot' in downtown Addis, near the Alliance Francaise, where you can get platters of roasted meat
and glasses of their unfiltered beer. These are the only two ways to get the unfiltered version of their beer and its great.

There is so much more to do in Ethiopia its hard to know where to start. If they have time to get out of the city, I'd highly recommend a trip to Lalibela to visit the ancient rock hewn churches and to drink the best t'ej I tasted anywhere in the country. If they go there, they can ask for a tour guide named '44'. I doubt he'll remember me but I met him a couple times and he is a great guide who can bring them to local 'tela bet' (beer houses) and 't'ej bet' (mead houses).

Ethiopia is wonderful. I hope they have fun.

Cheers, Chris O'Brien"

Good luck!

Cheers, RickG
S/V Echoes - Coral Bay - St. John, VI
PA Girl
Posts: 4485
Joined: Tue Aug 29, 2006 11:55 am

Post by PA Girl »

This summer, close friends of ours adopted a baby from there.

When I get to work, I will send you a link to their blog. From what I remember, they were out and about all the time and had a driver/guide for their entire stay. It was a very good experience for them.

In their blog she does daily posts about their adventures.

Congrats!
PA Girl
Posts: 4485
Joined: Tue Aug 29, 2006 11:55 am

Post by PA Girl »

Our friends took their blog down, sorry :) She said they did it to keep us all updated on the adoption process and now that it is over, they didn't feel like continuing it - having too much fun with their daughter to worry about blogging!
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deejayjay
Posts: 408
Joined: Sat Apr 07, 2007 2:42 pm
Location: Kansas

Post by deejayjay »

Thanks to both of you who responded. Rick, I do remember this answer from sometime back. Unfortunately, plans at that time were changed. First baby they were assigned died, etc... etc... Lots of uncontrollable variables when working with a third world country. I was hoping for more responses, but I guess Ethiopia is even too remote for this well travelled group. It is a country with state dept travel advisories. I hear the Ethiopians are wonderful, but there are terrorist groups. Scary, but exciting trip plans.
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Chickadee
Posts: 376
Joined: Tue Aug 08, 2006 10:17 am
Location: Madison, Wisconsin

Post by Chickadee »

Trip Advisor seems to have a fairly active discussion board if you haven't looked over there for feedback yet...
Jennifer

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