Getting the Visas

We had a new driver today. We left the guest house around 9 a.m. to go to the Mercato but before we left the guest house found out that we needed to meet Sintayehu at the U.S. Embassy to get Oliver’s passport and visa around 10 a.m. We instead drove through the older part of Addis and saw the tin roofed homes in the oldest remaining area of town. We then parked up the street from the U.S. Embassy and waited for Sintayehu. Sintayehu showed and he went inside the embassy and came out a short time later with all the kids paperwork, passports and visas. After the paperwork pick-up we went to shops so the other families could finish picking up some gift items to take home. We then returned to the guest house for lunch.


After lunch Aster delivered our 5 kilos of coffee and we gave her our gratuity for the staff at the guest house since the Christmas holiday was approaching.

At 3:30 p.m. we went to Toukoul to see Oliver. He sounded better after the doctor had started the medicine for his cough and he was very alert and lively today. We walked outside since it was a warm and sunny day. Oliver does not seem to enjoy sitting indoors but likes to be where the action is. We walked with him around Toukoul and saw some young girls styling each other’s hair in the sunshine. After two hours the nannies returned. We then went to a supermarket to purchase some items before we returned to the guest house for dinner.

Tomorrow is Genet (Ethiopian Christmas) and we will go to Toukoul in the morning and bring Oliver back to the guest house to stay. On Friday we will return to Toukoul for a tour and to complete the official paperwork to sign Oliver out.