Sunday, November 29th - Blantyre, Malawi to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

I actually slept in a bit this morning, probably because of a restless night fighting a mosquito and losing.  By 7:30 a.m. I was up and showered and ready to face the day though and it was a cool wet day in Blantyre.  That would have been great because I had lots of computer work to do - blogging, pictures, finding places to stay, booking flights, etc. - but the power was out and I was out of internet time and they couldn't get me a new one because their computer wouldn't work without the power.  Luckily I charged everything up last night so I should be okay for the day.

Lynn went for a morning run but said she didn't go as far because she was a bit stiff from yesterday's hike.  Oh I am so glad I didn't try to join them on that hike.  I had cramps in my legs and feet last night and all I did was walk a ways down the hillside and back up again.  Anyway she returned from her run and we eventually made it down to breakfast between 8:30 and 9:00 a.m.  Luckily they have gas here so the kitchen could still prepare breakfast.

With the drizzle outside and no power and no internet there wasn't much to do.  I tried to finish Lynn's book but didn't get to the end.  It was the story of Mary's Meals and I was quite enjoying it, especially the parts that were in Malawi.  The book is called The Shed That Fed a Million Children or something like that and it's the story of a man from Scotland who started feeding hungry children around the world by offering school meals.  I will have to get it somewhere else and finish it some day.

We also did some blogging and finished up some notes for Canadian Humanitarian.  The only bright enough spot to sit was the restaurant so we just stayed there from breakfast time to lunch time.  Luckily they aren't too busy so it was okay to hang around.  The driver arrived about 12:45 to take me to the airport but my lunch hadn't arrived yet so he had to wait a bit until I finished my lunch and managed to pay my bill, which seemed to be a problem as reception had no computer to do up the bill or the final payment receipt.  I finally just asked them to give me the restaurant receipts, which was all it was since our room was included with our tour, and I went back over to the restaurant and just paid for each one individually.  Enough people knew what I was doing that I think it should be okay.  The only problem that might occur is if the night person had managed to get the meals posted last night before the power went off in which case it might appear that I still have a balance on my account.

As I left for the airport, Lynn was heading out for another walk.  She doesn't fly out until tomorrow.  On our way to the airport there was one spot with a lot of people around and it turned out to be an annual free raggae concert.  Had she known about it she could have gone down to enjoy some music.

Also on our way to the airport we saw an accident.  It had happened some time before but it looked pretty bad.  A big truck loaded with fertilizer or something in white bags hit a minivan and the latter was off the road and very smashed up.  The front end of the truck was all smashed in.  There was another large truck stopped but we weren't sure if it was involved in the accident or whether it was there to take the load from the first truck.  The police were still there but it looked like a scene of chaos and looting as people were grabbing bags and hurrying away in all directions with their stolen loot on their heads.  Some of the bags had broken open and people were scrambling to gather up the contents from the road and ditch and put it in buckets or bags.  Little kids were under the truck picking up anything that had fallen there.  I think the company will have to consider the load a write-off at the rate the contents were disappearing.  

At the airport the process was pretty simple.  As soon as you entered the airport you had to put your bags on a scanner and go through one yourself.   The whole space for this process was only about 10 x 15 feet so pretty crowded.  Then you got to the counters, of which there seemed to be three with only two open for Ethiopian Airlines  I only had to wait a few minutes for that process and then had to turn around and take two steps, literally, to go through customs.  The three counters for check in, the service and sales counter and the two customs counters probably only had a space about 12 x 12 feet.  Then you went through the real security where they searched my backpack and padded me down, all of which was again in a very small area.  At last you reached the one and only departure lounge with some chairs to sit on, washroom facilities, a small bar and two small shops.  I had no idea the Blantyre airport was so small!  

The incoming flight arrived on time and was unloaded very quickly.  It is a continuing flight from Lilongwe to Addis so a lot of people stay on the plane in Blantyre.  We started boarding by 2:30 and then sat on the plane until our 3:15 departure time.  The plane is only about half full which is nice because we get to spread out a bit.  There are two of us in my row of three seats.  There was a bit of turbulence as we made our way through the rain clouds above Blantyre but otherwise it was a smooth flight.  Dinner was served at 4 p.m. so I didn't need much of it since I'd already eaten lunch.  Since they called it dinner on the ticket I assumed it would be a bit later in the flight.  I guess you should never assume anything.  

The sunset during the flight was a typical red African sunset.  There were layers of clouds on the horizon and each of them had a different hue: red, orange, yellow, pink, purple.  It lasted for quite some time and shot some beautiful bright rays into the darker sky above it and outlined the clouds in a wonderful light colour.  I was sitting on the aisle so couldn't get any photos.  Otherwise I would have taken many as it was gorgeous and lasted for quite some time.

Once I arrived in Addis it was a simple process to get my tourist visa and very quick.  I was worried it might take a while and they might question why I was coming back when I'd just been there but they didn't seem to care.  The luggage arrived quickly too and I think I was leaving the airport within 20 minutes of landing, which was quite amazing.  I even beat the folks who were picking me up because they thought I'd be a bit longer.

I was met by Raz from the Bow B&B Hotel.  He and his wife, Aster, are the owners and managers of the hotel and they are both Canadian and Ethiopian.  Their family is still back in Canada but they returned to Ethiopia and started this business.  By Ethiopian standards the rooms are fantastic and the price is very reasonable.  When working with Canadian Humanitarian we came here a couple of times for their Alberta Breakfast and their burge, both of which are great.  And they have a steak that is incredible - very much like a Canadian steak and not one you would normally find in Ethiopia.  Anyway, I would highly recommend the Bow (named after the Bow River in Alberta of course) to anyone coming to Addis.

By the time we got to the hotel it was 9 p.m. so I just settled in and went to bed.  As usual the power was out and the generator was running only for a while so sleep was a great alternative given the situation.  And it was so nice to be in a nice big clean bed in a clean modern bedroom.  I didn't take long to get to sleep and I slept very well indeed!