Our car finally arrived this week, and we’re so happy to have some freedom to explore Addis. We spent the morning at the Embassy where Charlotte played on the playground, Willa enjoyed the fresh air, and Dan and I enjoyed a rare Coke Light.
After a commissary run, we decided to keep driving up the mountain to see the view of the city from almost 10,000 feet. On the way up, we passed through a busy market area. I’m very impressed by Dan’s driving skills.
Not far up Mount Entoto, you feel very far from the city.
We passed dozens of women carrying huge bundles of sticks down the mountain. I’d seen women doing this in Kenya and Rwanda, but it always affects me. Perhaps because men typically do the heavy lifting in my culture, it seems incredibly sad to see elderly women carrying such heavy loads. Today we also saw very young girls carrying bundles. Some of them weren’t much older than Charlotte.
Just as I was contemplating how unfair it is, that some people must work so hard and never get ahead while others sit in our air-conditioned cars to enjoy mountain views, my Up band buzzed at me. It’s a sensitive pedometer that I wear in order to track my sleep and daily steps. It was buzzing to let me know that I’d been idle for too long and should get up and walk.
I literally wear a device that encourages me to move, while others must carry enormous bundles of sticks all day. Life is most definitely not fair.
