maddysima

you can ask anything, i will most likely answer lol

The process took about a year and a half. Fortunately and unfortunately the process has taken longer since Angelina Jolie adopted from there. Before it was about 6 months start to finish, now its about a year and a half. I traveled last February (2008) so I don't know if it's changed since then.

Traveling to and in Ethiopia was amazing, tiring, and shocking... all at once. it took a total of 23 hrs to travel there. We started in Atlanta, flew to DC on Delta, then switched airlines to Ethiopia Air. It was 17 hrs to Rome, where there was about a 45 min fuel up, then another 4 hrs or so to Addis Ababa. Plane food, not so good lol but it wasnt horrible either... it looked horrible though, I have pics haha. I'm a picture whore, i took LOADS of pictures. Addis is 8 hrs ahead so be ready for some jet lag, although it wasn't that bad. They try to help you along on the flight by adjusting your eating and sleeping schedule.
Because we'd never been to Ethiopia and it was going to be an experience all on its own, we decided to stay at the Hilton. My suggestion, the day after you get there you have to reconfirm your flight back, do it as soon as they open and request a bulkhead seat. (They have an Ethiopia Air in the hotel) I was down there as they opened and got the bulkhead, they can put a cradle on the wall in front of you for the baby... oh it was a godsend! and the extra leg room was awesome! You can also change your money at the Hilton, theres a pool, shops, food and a small grocery store! which will come in VERY handy as you cannot drink the water and need to get bottled water... more than you ever thought you would need.
When you think of Africa you think of the heat but Ethiopia is nothing like that. its about 70-75 YEAR ROUND! beautiful weather with the exception of the rainy season which I've heard is so sudden and torrential umbrellas do little if anything to help. Anyway, in February it was beautiful.
your agency should recommend taxi drivers, and if your agency has a message board, (a lot of them either have a board like this or a yahoo group) there will defintely be suggestions for drivers. Ours was phenomenal and CHEAP! about $24 for the entire DAY!! You will likely have a group of families traveling around your same time not only from your agency but others. the embassy dates are made for the same times each month. We were lucky to become friends (sorta) with another family staying at the Sheraton so we carpooled. One thing that was a shocker, there are no seatbelts or car seats in any vehicles! I had Maddy in a baby bjorn the entire time. They drive NUTS! pedestrian definitely does NOT have the right of way! they tailgate worse than anyone I've ever seen and they're constantly on the horn. It was a bit frightning at first but when I never saw or heard of an accident and when I asked him about it I was little more at ease. The side roads arent paved. be ready to see donkeys and goats carrying stuff on the sides of the roads, bring dramamine if you get car sick.
The nights take some getting used to. They have LOADS of wild dogs all over so the barking and howling can be overwhelming at times. I got used to it after a night. The Call To Prayer is around 4:30am, most beautiful thing i've ever heard, I woke up every morning just to hear it. It's over the entire city not very loud, wont wake you up or anything but its this man just this singing calling everyone to prayer, it's hard to explain, of course it's in Amharic.

hmmm well that got a little long, sorry! Just ask anything that comes to your mind, i'm really happy to help. Oh, thats my little girl Madeline in my avatar. When she was referred to us she was about 1 month old. When we travelled she was 7 months old. In that picture she is 21 months old... I cannot believe its been over a year since we travelled to Ethiopia. I cannot WAIT to go back, i miss it.