View From The Taxi

A man, severely handicapped, sat in a wheelchair and used his hands to tap the legs of his comrade to direct the blind man pushing him across the crazy Addis traffic.

I will say it again. A blind man was pushing a disabled man's wheelchair. Together they were using their strengths to cover the other's weakness.  

It is hard to get photos here. People don't appreciate drive by photos, taken paparazzi style but I wish you could see it. A city built for less than 2 million people is straining under the weight of over 4 million inhabitants. It's literally teeming with life. 

It's raw, beautiful, overwhelming and mesmerizing. Pregnant with grief and hope.

We spent Tuesday afternoon running around trying to get our Ethiopian driver's liscense. Our first stop was the US Embassy where we watched families finalize their adoptions, and guessed by watching into the other people's lives what they were doing at the embassy. Where they getting passports for the US? Getting married? 

 We finished the process this morning! 3 stops. It went smoothly, so thankful as we have heard it can take three days!

That is until I heard that I have to pass a road test. With a manual transmission. In the city. 

You guys, I don't know what I am going to do. I cannot tell you how crazy traffic is here, people and animals and cars and no lane delineation and horns and vehicles going the wrong way. As you have witnessed, I have driven a stick, but like four times, in flat Indiana. Addis is also high altitude and has so many hills with traffic kissing your back bumper. This leaves absolutely no room for backsliding. 

I think this may be something that I practice in Injibara this summer. It's mountainous, but much quieter traffic wise. I would just really not like to run someone over or have an accident my first week here. 

So I guess I have the paper but am not really road ready.