All the planning and trying to get ahead of things came crashing down on Monday January17, when Jane and I were leaving the house for good. While we had thought ahead, we were still explaining to AT&T and Commonwealth Edison that we were closing the house on March 1, 2011. We were weighing all our bags so that we could get the most for our 100 lbs. each all the way to Addis Ababa. And it snowed!
We were trying to leave for the airport by 2:00 PM for a 6:30 flight to Frankfurt. We didn’t. Finishing up required my getting all eight pieces of luggage, OK seven pieces and a puppy carrier for Roscoe the super dog, loaded into the truck, then going to the storage area with a few more items to put away for our return, and then on to Starbucks in Wheaton to sell the truck and get picked up by our kids Aaron and Jenny and our grandson Christian. Once we got to the airport and through security (better than it has been in the past), we were comfortable and settled for our 81/2 hour flight to Frankfurt. All is well.
In Frankfurt they are redoing their entire terminal at once. All flights landed and parked on the ramp. You then depart down a very long flight of stairs to the tarmac and enter a bus. After a long ride in the bus (20 minutes?) we arrive at the terminal, climb even more stairs and walk a half mile, including several trips up and down stairs and broken escalators. Through security again and to the departure gate for the Frankfurt to Addis flight (7 hours). Arrive just in time to get on another bus, ride 20 minutes and climb another long stairway to the flight. Addis, here we come.
One hour into our flight the little screen just in front of our noses changes destination from Addis Ababa to Dubrovnik, Croatia, which just happens to be where we are. Fuel tanks are dumped and we make an emergency landing there. One and a half hours on the plane parked in Dubrovnik and we are told the problem cannot be repaired. Lufthansa will send another plane from Frankfurt. The shore version is that after eight hours with nowhere to go in Dubrovnik, we take off again for Addis.
Addis Ababa, city of legend and mystery, opens before our eyes as we land at 4:45 AM on Wednesday, January 19. Long wait for immigration. We are glad we got our visas ahead of time because they free us from another long line for visas. With almost 300 lbs. of baggage, I wimp out and get a porter to help with the bags. Then to customs where I think they will have a field day with all the stuff we’ve got . . . remember we’re staying a while! Wrong! Red eyed, jet lagged, and weeeaaarry, the porter says something to the customs man and we walk free as birds into the Addis night and to a taxi. 200 Birr for the porter ($12.00), 300 Birr for the taxi, a ride through what looks like a war zone to the Harmony Hotel where we arrive at 5:30 AM. After checking in, breakfast at 6:00 AM, we return to the room, put the do not disturb sign out and sleep to 1:00 PM.
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