November 24, 2009
After frantic packing and sorting paper work, we made it to the Indy airport. Many thanks to Grandma and Grandpa-to-be for running all our last-minute errands and getting us and all that stuff to the airport. We flew through Detroit and arrived in Amsterdam the next day.
November 25, 2009
We made our way through the Amsterdam airport, having stashed all our luggage in very handy lockers, and hopped a train downtown. It took a little figuring and a phone call in the rain to Mastercard, but we managed to get on the right tram to our hotel. Our hotel was practically next door to the Van Gogh museum, so we chugged some cappuccino and soaked in all of VanGogh's brilliance. And of course, I made Dave pose by his doppelganger's self-portraits. Then we walked through the city at sunset -- amazing! Canals, old houses, and everybody ON BIKES! Such cool bikes. Especially those with the attached front carts for carrying kids! We stumbled upon the flower market, where I was in heaven. Amaryllis bulbs the size of my head. Tulip bulbs for every variety imaginable. I would have bought a farm's worth. Good thing there was no room in our luggage. We ate dinner at an Indonesian restaurant (called something "de Tiger", thus the statue). Dutch people were all friendly and helpful! We were obviously wandering out semi-lost most of the time and people would just offer directions.
November 26, 2009
Hopped on the airport bus right outside our hotel this morning and pretty much spent all day on the airplane. The flight stopped in Khartoum, Sudan, where most of the passengers got off. Then it was just a couple hours to Addis Ababa. By the time we purchased our visas, went through immigration, and cleared customs it was 11:00 pm. So now we're sitting in the hotel drinking Ethiopian beer in the hopes that it will help with the jetlag (we're not tired!!!).
