After a very long trip, we are finally home. Buchela did really well. He even made a little friend!
Since my parents are here and my husband can take some days off, we plan to take a family vacation over the next few days.
We don't know to where yet, the organized bunch we are! Right at the moment, it is a toss up between Beijing and Harbin.
It was a looooong journey but we are now safely home. Addis greeted us with a lot of wind and rain. The weather has been pretty gloomy the couple of days we have been here.
Few things about the trip: At the Dalian airport, as I was going through security, I had to take the Buchela out of his stroller and fold it up to put it through the x-ray machine. As soon as I took him out, he ran to the little security gate people pass through. When I saw the security woman go over his little body with her electronic thingie, I didn't worry because I knew she would stop him as I was obviously busy trying to put all our stuff through the machine to be checked.
Next thing I know, I look up and I see him running down the terminal, with incredible speed and glee, all alone. Startled, I dropped everything and ran through the security gate to catch him before he disappeared among the crowds of people. The security woman who let a 14 month old go through alone tried to stop me to check my body with her little machine. I, of course, pushed her hand off and proceeded to go after my child. When I came back, they were all looking at me as if I was insane. I don't know what they expected....
At the Beijing airport, at the passport control line, three Indian men cut in front of me. I tapped one of them on the shoulders and asked, very loudly, "What the fuck do you think you are doing?" Embarrassed, all three left the line and the rest of the time, none of them so much as glanced towards me.
On the plane, a very helpful silver haired man sat in the same row as me. He brought me extra blankets and pillows and adjusted the air conditioning for me while I was breastfeeding. Then, after dinner, the lights went out and we all went to sleep only to be awakened by a woman near by sneezing successively. Every time she sneezed, the older man that was very helpful to me, mumbled "fuck off" in a barely audible voice. So for a while, there was this odd dialogue between those two where she sneezed and he said "fuck off".
At the Dubai airport, I could barely function from the exhaustion. I went into the bathroom to change the Buchela. As I was getting his stuff out from the bag onto the changing table, I found a note that read:
Hi love,
I love you and Lisan. I miss you guys already . Have a good trip and a wonderful time in Ethiopia.
Paul
As always, he came through at the right time.
The first day we arrived Addis I over ate some kitfo with kocho and felt a little sick the rest of the day. It was still totally worth it. But next time, I need to remember to stop pigging out once I am full.
Buchela took a little bit of time to warm up to his family here but in the end, once he did, there was really no stopping him.
Photo: The road infront of our house during a heavy rain.
The amazing thing about being in Dandong, looking across into North Korea is the difference between the two river banks.
The Dandong side is bustling with energy and life. There are lots of restaurants, vendors, shops, cruise boats, and all sorts of businesses on the China side.
You look across the river however, there is no development. In this case, the grass is literally greener on the other side.
Just to provide you a reference point, the first two pictures are of Dandong.
The rest are pictures of North Korea I took as we cruised down the Yalu river.
Dandong in the day time.
Dandong at sunset.
Pictures Below: North Korea.
I have always been fascinated by North Korea. So, taking a boat cruise close (very close) to the border of a country that is being led by a totally insane man was extremely exciting for me.
I took pictures although our guidebooks advised travelers to tuck their cameras away. It was much easier to take pictures of the scenery and civilians. I was pretty intimidated by the machine gun slinging soldiers.
North Korean people can not leave their country unless they are high ranking officials that can prove their loyalty to the government. Anyone that leaves risks his/her life but more importantly, the lives of all family members.
In the next few postings, I will be putting up North Korean pictures, giving explanations whenever I can.
I am all better. I have taken the baseboard off the wall!
