Trip To Hawassa Part 1

I don't know how to begin this post.  There is so much I want to share & so much that I can't.  I will try to put as much up for the memory book as possible, but I know there will be holes because there are many parts of this trip that are for us only.

We left early to beat the traffic rush - these people don't even flinch when cars go zooming past them on this interstate.

This is a Chinese factory.  The Chinese have come into Ethiopia & are doing to them what we did to the Chinese.  They have built lots of factories here to produce tons of goods for very cheap labor.

I loved seeing the Chinese & Ethiopian flags together. ;0)

Some school kids starting their day with a pledge to the flag.

We saw tons of these HUGE ant hills.  The farmers will plow around them to keep from disturbing them.  We saw some that were taller than me, but it's hard to get a good pic in a moving van.

Another tree ;0)

One of the things I learned was that the houses are built differently based on the tribe they are from.  Amazing

The trip that could easily be shortened by an hour if it weren't for the fact that cattle & all kinds of herds have the right of way!!!!  If you look down the stretch, you can see they are getting ready to cross.  They don't care that you are coming - they have the right of way.  So, you slow down (or even stop if it's a big herd), dodge them if you can & go about your merry little way.  It's really something.  In fact on this trip our driver got so close one time we thought we hit a cow, but it was just his tail hitting the hood of the van.  It made a loud enough bang that it scared us to death.

Another kind of tribal home

Hannah Grace playing with Asa - I think we owe him babysitting money ;0)

A. is a lawyer & he just happens to be the social work guy who submitts our paperwork to the Embassy.  He is so good with children.  He & HG hit it off immediately.  We learned alot about Ethiopia during our time with him.  I am thankful he was able to take us on our journey.

More to come later - kids are up so my time is up....