Paris, France – February 8 to 12

Because our flight home originated in Paris, France, we made the obvious decision to spend four days there on the way home.  We found a small flat for a short-term rental ½ block south of the Seine River that flows through the middle of Paris and about two blocks from Notre Dame.  This was our second visit to Paris, so we tried to see some of the sites that we missed before.

On Sunday we attended church in the Paris France Ward where we had attended four years before.  In Sacrament Meeting, you can get a head-set and tune in to hear the English translation or to hear the Chinese translation.  Amazingly, Paris is a fertile area for Chinese conversions.  After church, we walked about ½ block to the Pompidou Museum which houses modern art.  Although the museum was very interesting, we came away with the impression that modern art is, on the whole, very dark.  We would love to visit many of the museums in Paris again and again, but one visit to Pompidou is probably enough for us.

Monday was a beautiful, but chilly day.  We took the Metro to the Montmatre area, best known for the Basilica Sacre-Coeur.  We then walked our legs off all 

the way back to our flat.  We saw the places where Van Gogh and Toulouse-Lautrec lived and worked.  We strolled past Moulin Rouge and Pigalle, and visited the famous Paris Opera House where the Phantom of the Opera was supposed to have prowled.  What a beautiful ornate building.  It is truly breathtaking. we’d love to attend an opera there. 

After the Opera House, we walked and walked to the Trocadero, across the Seine River from the Eifel Tower, walked over to the 

tower and then along the Seine back to our flat.

Tuesday, the weather was rainy.  So, we got out of the weather by touring the Catacombs where the bones of six million Parisians are interred.  The bones were disinterred beginning in 1786 in order to relieve congestion and improve sanitation by emptying the Paris cemeteries. Later the bones were arranged in the manner we see today.

After the Catacombs, we took the Metro to the Arc de Triomphe and walked down the Champs-Elysees – perhaps the most famous street in France.  On the way home, we visited the Petit Palais, a beautiful building built in 1900 for the Universal Exhibition.  It is now a museum housing beautiful works of art from sculptures to paintings and historic artifacts.

Paris is a city that deserves to be visited again and again.  Its history is fascinating and its architecture is ever stunning.  The city of lights!

On Wednesday, we flew non-stop to Salt Lake City; an 11 hour flight – this time in the cheap seats!  But, stay tuned, there is more to come.

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – February 1 to 7

Our nephew, Charles Barrett, is spending a year in Addis Ababa doing development work for Ethiopia through a NGO, and is at the end of his stay.  So, while we are traveling near that part of the world, we felt we should pay him a visit.

Ethiopia is located in the horn of Africa and is a third world country.  The Capital, Addis Ababa (meaning New Flower), is a large city with over 4 million people.  Ethiopia is believed to be one of the oldest locations of human life.  The famous skeleton, Lucy, was discovered in Ethiopia.  

Ethiopia is also one of the oldest Christian nations adopting Christianity in about the 3^rd century A.D.  The main religion is the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, which was previously a part of the Egyptian Coptic Church.  They also believe they are of the blood of Israel through King David and the Queen of Sheba.  They also claim to have the original Ark of the Covenant in a church there.  Traditional Ethiopian churches are built in an octagonal shape with three concentric areas.  The outer area is for the worshipers to enter with men on one side and women on the other.  The next inner circle is the “holy place” where the priests sing and pray.  The innermost circle is the “holy of holies” and a replica of the Ark of the Covenant is kept there and only the priests are ever allowed to enter or to see the ark.

Addis (the short name) has a lot of construction going on and is rapidly developing.  But outside of the main roads is very dusty and dirty at the end of the dry season when we were there.  The people are very friendly and we were never made to feel that we were a minority, even though we were.

The first Emperor to unite Ethiopia was Menelik II, who chose Addis as the Capital and built his “palace” on the hill overlooking Addis.  The palace is still standing but is not very palatial by today’s standards but more like a glorified mud hut.

The last Emperor was Haile Selaessie who built a more grand palace which is now the Ethnological Museum on the grounds of the Addis Ababa University. He was referred to as the “Lion of Judah” and worked very hard to portray an image of grandeur, although only 5’4” tall.  He drove the Italians out of Ethiopia and was a national hero and highly respected around the world.

We made a daytrip some 200 kilometers (125 miles) north of Addis to the Blue Nile River Gorge.  The Blue Nile is one of the two branches that eventually become the Nile River.  The river isn’t too impressive at that stage, but I wanted to dip my hands into the headwaters of the great Nile River.  On the way back we visited a stone bridge known as the Portuguese Bridge which led to a magnificent view overlooking the Jema River Gorge, a tributary of the Blue Nile.

 

Another day-trip was to a wildlife rescue preserve known as Born Free.  Their specialty is rescuing big cats, including lions and cheetahs.  The cheetahs were most interesting.  One female came up to the fence and rubbed against it and allowed us to pet it while it purred.  I never knew a cheetah could purr!!  Now I have petted three big cats, lions, tigers, and a cheetah.  Nearby is the oldest park in Africa (dating to the 15^th century) – a forest preserve with baboons, Colobus monkeys, and other wild life.

Our final excursion was overnight to the Wenchi Crater Lake.  The Wenchi Crater (at about 10,000 feet) was created by a volcano that didn't spew lava, but rather belched mega tons of ash.  Layer upon layer of extremely fine ash built up the crater, creating very dusty trails where the vegetation was warn away.  The crater provided some of the most beautiful scenery we have ever seen.  

On the way to and from we had an opportunity to see how rural Ethiopians live.  Most people walk everywhere, and the small ubiquitous donkeys are often overloaded.  The people were wonderful, and giving a simple ballpoint pen to the children engendered beaming smiles and great excitement.

Abu Dhabi, UAE – January 25 to February 1

We have been negligent in keeping this blog up to date over the past 2 weeks.  During that time we spent a week in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates and 6 days in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.  In both of these cities we stayed with relatives.  When you visit relatives you don’t have the evenings alone to blog.  So, please accept our apologies as we try to catch you up to date.

 We flew into Dubai on Saturday, January 25^th.  Dubai and Abu Dhabi are two of the most modern, up-to-date, and forward-looking cities in the world.  Just 50 years ago these same areas were inhabited by desert tribes who made their living from their livestock and pearl diving.  When cultured pearls were introduced the price and demand for natural pearls plummeted, making this area one of the poorest in the world.  Then oil was discovered and the rest is history.

We stayed with Sue’s niece, Emma Prete, and her family in Abu Dhabi which is some 93 miles southwest of Dubai along the coast of the Arabian Sea.  The weather was beautiful.  January is probably the best time to visit with daytime temperatures in the high 70’s to low 80’s.  However, summer temperatures range from 100 to 120 degrees F.  For this reason, all malls are indoors.  And, some of their malls are the most the most massive, beautiful and ornate in the world. 

Within walking distance from where we stayed in Abu Dhabi is a beautiful beach area referred to as the Corniche.  It spans eight kilometers and includes children’s play areas, cycle and pedestrian paths, cafes and restaurants and a manicured beach. 

We learned of a car museum outside of the city created by a Sheikh which is now the Emirates National Auto Museum.  The collection includes off-road vehicles, classic American cars, the Sheikh’s rainbow Mercedes collection and the world’s largest jeep and truck. 

 

The most beautiful and majestic building we have ever seen is the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi. Sheikh Zayed is the Sheikh that actually unified the UAE and set it on the road to properity, and is considered the founding father of the UAE.  This mosque was started by Sheikh Zayed and completed by his son in 2003.  This building can accommodate 20,000 worshippers in the covered areas and the main courtyard.  Seeing this mosque helped us to understand the true devotion of these Muslims to their religion. 

 

 

One of the most interesting things we did while in the UAE was a “desert safari.”  Some 20 miles into the desert is a camp and small oasis.  We spent 4 hours dune bashing, riding camels, experiencing a falcon show and eating dinner under the palms.  The most exciting and at the same time, terrifying, experience was dune bashing.    Sitting in a 4 x 4, the driver hurls you up an Arabian sized sand dune and just before cresting the dune swerves the vehicle down the dune.   You swear that the vehicle is going to roll at any moment.  It is everything dune bashing should be, on the edge and heart in throat. 

 
This is us -- dressed up.

A day and a half of our week was spent in Dubai.  The buildings in Dubai appear to be an architect’s playground.  Any one of them if located elsewhere would be considered a wonder, but are just par for the course in Dubai.  One of these buildings, the Burj Khalifa, is the tallest building in the world.  The view from the 124th floor observation deck is worth the price of admission.  We also drove out onto the famous Palm, a large artificial island in the shape of a palm tree. 
 

 

While in Abu Dhabi we attended church.  However, there is a difference in the United Arab Emirates.  Because this is a Muslim country, and Muslims worship on Friday, the LDS Church also holds its Sabbath meetings on Fridays.

We left Abu Dhabi on Saturday, and then attended church again in Ethiopia on Sunday.  Two times in 3 days.  Do you think that will get us any extra points in heaven?