Saturday, August 15, 2009

Arrival in Ethiopia

Arrived about one o'clock in the morning in Addis and I didn't get to my bed until three. Nevertheless, there are some poignant first impressions. On the way to the hotel from the airport I could distinguish numerous figures huddled together in doorways, under bridges, under open umbrellas. For the most part they will probably be the people who come into Addis from the outside countryside, hoping to eek out a better existence than the one that they have at home and believe me this is not some warm sub tropical country, with constant rain and temperatures below those back in Munich.

Pleasant surprises have also been made. The internet connection in the hotel is good enough and I am sitting in the sixth floor restaurant. Furthermore, the coffee is excellent and certainly as good as the best you will taste at home. Now, it is off to the university and will there be electricity? That being available and the internet connection being readily accessible at least in the publi areas will make my day and, to no little extent, decide my quality of life over the next five weeks. Of course, one just has to look out of the window to put my little problems in perspective.

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