Embassy Day, Hilton, Souvenir Shop

The morning was spent playing and bathing my new son.

After lunch, we all loaded up in the van and headed to the US Embassy.  When you arrive, you need to have your passport ready.   You can rest on some benches (think baseball dugout type of benches) under a shaded roof while you wait to enter the embassy.  You are sent through metal detectors and any cell phones, cameras, computers, etc. need to be left with security. (My advice is to leave them in the van.  You may want your camera for at the Hilton later on.)

Once inside, you wait for your name to be called.  In the van on the way there, Marta (from CHSFS) had given us a list of typical questions the Immigeration Officer could ask.  In the waiting room, I headed for the seat under the ceiling fan.  There is also a fenced off area (think daycare-indoor-type of fencing) with toys for the kids to play.

When we got called up, the officer first told me that she was a fellow-Returned Peace Corp Volunteer.  I didn't need any forms except the I-600.  She said everything else was already in the dossier. Tesfaye and Marta were at the window with me.  The questions she asked (that I can remember) included

• What circumstances brought him to the orphanage?
• Does he have siblings?
• Who was caring for him?
• Does he have any medical, cognitive, developmental issues?

I think there were a few more, but I don't remember them.  At the end, she said Congratulations.  It was all very anti-climatic then.  No balloons, confetti or big smooches from my son (too many kids and toys to play with).  Tesfaye and Marta and the other parents were happy for us, though.

The whole process took less than an hour, I think.  Good thing.  I don't think I could've stood the portraits of GW Bush, Cheney and Condoleezza Rice staring at me for much longer than that.

Afterwards, we went to the Hilton Hotel to confirm Ethiopian Air flights. Make sure you have a contact phone number with you.  The agents were quite particular about that. Then, we went to get an ice cream.  That was quite an ordeal.  You had to pay at one booth/hut and get the ice cream from another.  The worst part was that MY SON DID NOT ENJOY ICE CREAM.  (I'm persistent.  Eventually, he'll come around).  Then we left.  I forgot to change my dollars.  DO NOT FORGET TO CHANGE YOUR DOLLARS. It is a pain to do it at the bank.

Then we stopped at a souvenir shop of Tesfaye's friends.  The prices were OK, but I think you could do better in other places if you are an experienced haggler.   They had clothes, cloths and wooden carvings. While waiting in the van for the shoppers to finish, plenty of vendors came up to us to hock their wares.  Oddly, we were not interested in purchasing a map of the world.

After dropping the family staying at the Ghion off, we returned to the Guesthouse.  I decided a nap was appropriate.