Dec 5, 2007

Ethiopia Photo Tour

As promised, I put together a photo montage of our trip to Ethiopia, the week before we met our boys (so no cute baby pictures). I struggled with what to write about our experience and so have decided not to share my dialogue; I cannot give the complexity enough credit in my writing. I will say that to focus only on the crushing poverty of Ethiopia is a disservice to your senses (and your children if you adopt from this country). Our first day in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's capital, was exciting yet blood curdling at first sensation (just travel up and down Bole Road and you know what I mean). Yet by the time we traveled the beautiful country side and returned to the city, it seemed a different place. Humans, somebody said, can adapt to almost anything. If you are adopting and don't leave Addis, then you must return because you missed so much. We also missed so much and will return soon, I promise.

11 comments:

LISA said...

COOL!!

ellenhopes said...

looks like you seen so much, beautiful pictures!
Ellen

jayme said...

What great photos, and what an amazing memory to have. I can't wait to get back to Ethiopia and see much, much more of the country.

So, totally off topic, but please tell me about the music that accompanies your slideshow. The mbira is my favourite instrument, so I was drawn in from the first few notes...

Ted and Jill said...

Very cool!! Thanks for sharing...I cannot wait to see it myself.

Heather said...

Very cool! I hope to return to Ethiopia in a few years and see more of the country.

Heatehr

Gretchen said...

Thank you so very much for sharing that slideshow... you did an AMAZING job putting it together! It certainly made Jason and I start thinking about camping while there- although I can't help but think that I would be worried, worried, worried about being attacked by the warthog or the baboons. What about you? Were you nervous about camping in Africa?
Here's hoping your family is doing well....

Cindy said...

Thanks everybody! We ordered DVDs of this and the last slide show and the quality is SO much better. Really really great!!

Jayme, I'm glad somebody mentioned the awesome music I picked out! And I'm impressed you recognized the mbria--I had no clue!

The first song is called 'Home' by the ET band 'Bole 2 Harlem'. very fitting! It's a great album, we're getting it for the boys and us for Christmas. It's an ET band now rocking Harlem.

The next 2 songs are from African Playground CD. Hoye Hoye, of course! And the third song is from Uganda (that cool xylephone sounding instrument, love it!). Our nanny is Ugandan, so I can justify using that song :).

Courtney, LOL, the wart hogs are totally docile and baboons like big hills. Not scary what-so-ever. It was cool, we were eating lunch out in the sage brush one afternoon and baboons were scampering up and down a hill in the distance and nyala and wart hogs were foraging around us :).

OH, and I was looking through our "big ET book" and saw a picture of the same exact rock outcropping in Bale that I snapped a picture of! Cool!

Unknown said...

This is just awesome. Thank you for taking the time to put it together! I can't wait to experience Ethiopia for myself! Hope you are enjoying the Holiday Season!

Sprout's House said...

Thank you for sharing. Absolutely amazing and beautiful.

PS.
I am reading "What is the What" and I have to admit, after reading what I have I would be a bit frightened about lions.

Mamato2 said...

You saw so much! Great slide show! :)

Mrs. Engelhardt said...

Wow! This was a great slideshow! Thanks for posting and sharing all of the wonderful photos!