Our drive to the hotel resulted in another world being opened up to me. There were stray drogs strolling the streets with the people. Little boys were bobbing up and down while riding their donkeys. When we stopped at our first red light, a woman was holding a baby and asking for money. Her neck looked like it had two tennis balls inside. Her beautiful baby with a tiny bracelet around her wrist was turning her hand up and down, trained to ask for money. I was looking out at the little shops boxed in by large sheets of metal painted all sorts of colors. Men were carrying live sheeps and goats around their shoulders.
We had just arrived in Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia. I would have never guessed it was the capital city. We drove by the "castles" of the president and prime minister. It wasn't anything special. They were closed in by fences and looked like neglected homes taken over by the forest surrounding it. Guards holding AK47s could be seen in raised wooden platforms. The only sign of their wealth and power was the large areas of land that were fenced in.
We gasped when we saw the Sheraton hotel we would be staying in. It was truly a castle and I am sure the most beautiful building in the entire capital. It was sticking its tongue out at the president's castle right across the street. Later, we were to find out the castle was built for the an important Shaikh of Saudi Arabia. We were not told exactly who, but he married an Ethiopian. It explained the flag of Saudi Arabia located by the entrance of the hotel.
Our first day passed by quickly. While we settled into the hotel, we looked out at our view of little shacks made up of the same metal sheets similar to the shops beside the main road. They were lined up right against one another and surrounded by garbage. Looking back into our rooms at our spacious room with excquisite furnishing, we were overwhelmed with guilt.
We had just arrived in Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia. I would have never guessed it was the capital city. We drove by the "castles" of the president and prime minister. It wasn't anything special. They were closed in by fences and looked like neglected homes taken over by the forest surrounding it. Guards holding AK47s could be seen in raised wooden platforms. The only sign of their wealth and power was the large areas of land that were fenced in.
We gasped when we saw the Sheraton hotel we would be staying in. It was truly a castle and I am sure the most beautiful building in the entire capital. It was sticking its tongue out at the president's castle right across the street. Later, we were to find out the castle was built for the an important Shaikh of Saudi Arabia. We were not told exactly who, but he married an Ethiopian. It explained the flag of Saudi Arabia located by the entrance of the hotel.
Our first day passed by quickly. While we settled into the hotel, we looked out at our view of little shacks made up of the same metal sheets similar to the shops beside the main road. They were lined up right against one another and surrounded by garbage. Looking back into our rooms at our spacious room with excquisite furnishing, we were overwhelmed with guilt.
Wow subhanallah. Its always disconcerting to see the divide of wealth and poverty in 3rd world countries. I can't wait for your future posts. :)
ReplyDeleteMakes us appreciate our homes alot more hey. Great post. love and hugs:)
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