Day 14

Friday 17th July

We awoke on Friday after a well earned rest on Thursday, knowing we had a long day ahead of us. Breakfast was at 9am, just after our thought for the day; which was thoughtfully prepared by Ashley.  We then had some time to pack before lunch. 

The food at the Kuriftu Resort we were staying at for rest and relaxation was quite western, and some members of the team were worried they had missed out on a final Ethiopian inspired menu.  Thankfully our early lunch was a buffet with plenty of Ethiopian choice... 

We left the hotel to return to Addis - about a 2 hour journey.  The return to the city was accompanied by some very apt songs from U2, The Killers and Snow Patrol (thanks to Sam). The mood on the bus was a quiet and somber one-either from exhaustion or reflection of the past two weeks.  We passed many sights along the journey, again reminding us of the extreme deprivation most Ethiopian people are living with.  Although passing familiar areas and landmarks on journeys we have taken before, the sights (and smells) of the poverty we encountered are ones that you could never get used to, or ignore.

Zee had kindly arranged for us to make a quick visit to the National Football Stadium for football shirts, to a market area to buy souvenirs and gifts, and finally a coffee shop for some much loved Ethiopian coffee.   Needless to say by 6pm, we were starting to feel the effects of being up so early and being so busy - but the day was far from over!

One last stop before the airport - the Lucy Lounge for dinner.  This was the restaurant the team visited on the second day of our trip, and is part of the National Museum.  We were joined by the rest of the Habitat staff we had met at the beginning of our building, which was a lovely final send off.  We were so humbled by how appreciative our hosts were of our work over the past two weeks, when for us it has been a massive privilege to contribute in some way.

After the Habitat guests left, Zee accompanied us to the airport for our final, and most difficult farewell of the day.  We thanked our bus driver and his accomplice sincerely for all our journeys and keeping us safe on the insane roads of Addis.  Finally, each team member gave a heartfelt thanks to Zee for an amazing experience in the country.  For looking after us all so well, and going above and beyond what is required from a Habitat host.  His personality and wit suited our Northern Irish humour perfectly, and we will all miss him  greatly. 

Our move through our first airport on our 24 hour journey home was smooth and as painless as it could be.  We particularly love airport queues, and so the two security checks, the check-in, the custom check, the boarding pass check and finally the queue for the plane were all great.  We left Addis at 1.15am on Saturday morning and ready for a day in Istanbul airport.

Post by Katie Parks