Hello from Nazret!

Yesterday afternoon, we made the 2-hour trip from Addis Ababa to Nazret (or Adama, as it is officially called) by bus.  Nazret is our kids hometown. 

All went as smooth as can be expected, though we did have to stop the bus to get our luggage in the back after it dropped us off.  :)  The scenery on the way here included big factories, small towns, and countryside.  The countryside had a mountain backdrop with yellow rolling hills and isolated dark green trees and shrubs.  It is warm and sunny here.  We're in t-shirts today, and I had to put on sunscreen to prevent from getting burnt.

We're staying at a really nice hotel called Ayu International Hotel.  It's cheaper than the hotel in Addis, but about 10 times nicer (the one in Addis was fine, but more basic).  This one has marble floors in the common areas, a HUGE room, our own hot water heater, digital satellite television (with 10 channels) and a balcony with a view.

Today, we walked around the town quite a bit.  Nazret is on a main thoroughfare for Ethiopia, so the street outside of our hotel is very busy with traffic from all over the country.  When you get off the main road, it's more like a small town.  There are cobblestone streets (including some that are currently being extended further).  The paved palm-tree lined boulevards have little blue electric cars, mini-buses, and people on bicycles zipping around, and the dirt roads have horse and donkey carts for transportation.  Along the dirt roads, there are drainage ditches, and many small shops and homes are on the other side, so people have made bridges out of sticks and tires to cross the ditches.

Probably one of the highlights of our walk today was a visit to the bustling food market here in town.  It was in open air with very few stalls, just people lined up selling their grains and produce from the ground.  Some of the things for sale included lentils, teff, red onions, small red potatoes, garlic, carrots, leeks, bananas, live chickens, and donkeys.

We have had the most amazing pineapple, mango, and avocado juices and pastries here so far.  Tonight we'll have traditional Ethiopian food for dinner.  Tomorrow, we'll try to find the school that the girls attended when they were here.  People seem to recognize the name of it, so it shouldn't be too difficult...

At the care center in Addis Ababa today, our kids experienced the last good-bye ceremony that they will have before we come.  The good-bye ceremony is when they say good-bye to the kids who are leaving with their new families.  We meet them in 10 days!

With love,
Sarah & Jeremy