Slums and State Dinners

On the agenda for our second day in Ethiopia was a visit to the Ethiopian Airlines main facility for a tour. It was explained to me that since they had given us such a deal on the flights, they wanted to be able to show off for us “wealthy American investors" of which the delegation has plenty. It was thoroughly boring, though we were given the tour from inside a bus and weren't able to hear the guide - so that probably had something to do with it.

Afterwards, we took a tour through the outskirts of town and the countryside on our way to lunch. This experience was eye-opening and sad. I had prepped myself to see poverty-stricken residents in Ethiopia, but the miles and miles of slums and low-income housing we passed was disheartening. Being on a big bus draws the attention of people, and with a police escort it's even more obvious that you are comparatively rich to the people you're passing on the roads. I am by no means rich or 'wealthy', but I felt embarrassed and saddened by the people who waved and smiled and the children who screamed and laughed and ran after us waving. I know I should appreciate how fortunate I've been in terms of personal and family wealth, but honestly - it made me feel like crap.

Keeping with the drastic separation of wealth and poverty in Ethiopia, we emerged from the small towns and villages and into a gorgeous retreat and spa center overlooking a lake. Our big buffet lunch was situated among little thatched roof bungalows, waterfalls and extensive gardens. Our meal - like the night before - was delicious. I took a little self-guided tour of the resort after lunch and found a workout facility on top of a building and an absolutely beautiful pool which waterfalled off into the gardens. Back outside at the busses, we found some sugar cane growing. One of the drivers had cut a stalk off and gave us some to share on the bus. Fresh sugar cane is awesome. I could have stayed and relaxed there all day, but we had to get back to the hotel and dressed for the State Dinner we had that evening with the President of Ethiopia.

State Dinner: Opulent, refined, formal... and LONG. I had high hopes for dinner with the Ethiopian head of state, but it was a little too formal for my liking. Dinner was served in seven courses by what mush have been 50 or 60 waiters. The food and the band were both good, but the 'comments' made by important dignitaries afterward took SO long. People were falling asleep by the end of it. One woman almost fell out of her chair. I guess we were all still a little jet-lagged.