What We Brought to Ethiopia - Pros and Cons
Here's a post I've been meaning to write for oh, 20 months or so. My apologies to anyone who has traveled in the interim who could have made use of it.
What We Brought to Addis -- And Were Thankful to Have
1) Gatorade powder -- came in handy when we got sick
2) Packets of instant oatmeal -- came in handy when we got sick
3) Granola bars and foil-packet raisins -- handy snacks
4) Really large capacity video cards and photo cards
5) Converter to charge the cameras
6) Quick dry clothing -- would bring nothing but the next time -- including underwear
7) Individual use woolite packets for washing said quick dry clothing
8) Extra toothbrushes -- we each had an oops moment of sticking the toothbrush under the faucet (we learned to drape a washcloth over the faucet as a reminder)
9) Flip flops -- somewhat of a help in the otherwise shocking shower
10) Fleece jackets -- chills down rapidly at night
11) Punch balls for all the kids. -- they had so much fun with them.
What we brought to Addis and didn't use:
1) Hair dryer -- who the heck cares?
2) Motion sickness drugs -- see below
3) Ben's bug repellent individual wipes -- but we would bring them again -- we just happened not to run into any mosquitos, but you never know
4) Rolling carry-on suitcase -- ok, we used this, but all the metal in it and the wheels makes it really heavy and you can hardly pack anything into it before you hit the weight limit. Next time: backpack as carry-on. Plus a backpack leaves TWO hands free for dealing with a small child.
5) I-pad. No ability to connect to the internet. Not that I wouldn't try again.
What We Wished We Brought to Addis and Didn't, But Would the Next Time:
1) Cipro -- those who came down with the same crud we did but had Cipro only suffered a few hours, as opposed to 24+
2) Dried, sweetened ginger -- the family who traveled with us to our birth family visit brought some and shared. I have a tendency for motion sickness in large vehicles that are swerving all over the place. The ginger worked wonderfully and no side effects!
3) Small tape recorder to keep a radio diary and record the sounds of the country.
4) Rubber gloves to avoid electric shocks from the shower and sink faucets and handles
5) WAY more toy machinas for the little one.
6) WAY more clothes -- jeans, shirts, underwear, and socks -- for the little one -- we relied on being able to buy them in Addis, and were wrong. And the bright idea of using pull ups instead of underwear -- didn't fly with the little one. He knew that pull ups were for babies. He kept messing up his underwear, but wouldn't wear the pull ups. He ended up going native on the last leg of the trip. They don't seem to sell underwear in airports or hotel gift shops.
7) Sunglasses for the little one -- everyone else brought them for their kids. Several pair are needed -- they're hard on them.
8) A cheap digital camera. All the kids were fascinated with their parents' cameras. Those who got one turned over to them had a blast running around taking a zillion photos. We couldn't afford to take the chance that one of ours would get broken. Wouldn't have cared so much if we had a drugstore $40 cheapie.
9) A cheap kid's watch. T was fascinated with our watches. Probably because they had buttons and he was fascinated with pushing buttons.
10) Shorts. It's not culturally appropriate to walk around in public in them, but would have been nice to have a pair to wear in our room. It can get toasty mid-day.
Things We Brought But Should Have Packed in our Checked Luggage Before We Tried to Travel Back With the Added Load of a Kid and All His Stuff:
1) Lonely Planet guide
2) Memory foam neck rests -- they're great, but don't really pack well, and when you're trying to get a kid from Point A to Point B, traveling light takes on a whole new meaning
3) Business cards -- should have put one in each suitcase for easier return of lost luggage on our way home. Small child found them and took them to play with and we didn't want to make him cry. Never saw them again. Next time they go in the suitcases before we leave home.
What We Brought to Addis -- And Were Thankful to Have
1) Gatorade powder -- came in handy when we got sick
2) Packets of instant oatmeal -- came in handy when we got sick
3) Granola bars and foil-packet raisins -- handy snacks
4) Really large capacity video cards and photo cards
5) Converter to charge the cameras
6) Quick dry clothing -- would bring nothing but the next time -- including underwear
7) Individual use woolite packets for washing said quick dry clothing
8) Extra toothbrushes -- we each had an oops moment of sticking the toothbrush under the faucet (we learned to drape a washcloth over the faucet as a reminder)
9) Flip flops -- somewhat of a help in the otherwise shocking shower
10) Fleece jackets -- chills down rapidly at night
11) Punch balls for all the kids. -- they had so much fun with them.
What we brought to Addis and didn't use:
1) Hair dryer -- who the heck cares?
2) Motion sickness drugs -- see below
3) Ben's bug repellent individual wipes -- but we would bring them again -- we just happened not to run into any mosquitos, but you never know
4) Rolling carry-on suitcase -- ok, we used this, but all the metal in it and the wheels makes it really heavy and you can hardly pack anything into it before you hit the weight limit. Next time: backpack as carry-on. Plus a backpack leaves TWO hands free for dealing with a small child.
5) I-pad. No ability to connect to the internet. Not that I wouldn't try again.
A fascination with all things button-pushing, an activity all the older kids seemed to share.
What We Wished We Brought to Addis and Didn't, But Would the Next Time:
1) Cipro -- those who came down with the same crud we did but had Cipro only suffered a few hours, as opposed to 24+
2) Dried, sweetened ginger -- the family who traveled with us to our birth family visit brought some and shared. I have a tendency for motion sickness in large vehicles that are swerving all over the place. The ginger worked wonderfully and no side effects!
3) Small tape recorder to keep a radio diary and record the sounds of the country.
4) Rubber gloves to avoid electric shocks from the shower and sink faucets and handles
5) WAY more toy machinas for the little one.
6) WAY more clothes -- jeans, shirts, underwear, and socks -- for the little one -- we relied on being able to buy them in Addis, and were wrong. And the bright idea of using pull ups instead of underwear -- didn't fly with the little one. He knew that pull ups were for babies. He kept messing up his underwear, but wouldn't wear the pull ups. He ended up going native on the last leg of the trip. They don't seem to sell underwear in airports or hotel gift shops.
7) Sunglasses for the little one -- everyone else brought them for their kids. Several pair are needed -- they're hard on them.
8) A cheap digital camera. All the kids were fascinated with their parents' cameras. Those who got one turned over to them had a blast running around taking a zillion photos. We couldn't afford to take the chance that one of ours would get broken. Wouldn't have cared so much if we had a drugstore $40 cheapie.
9) A cheap kid's watch. T was fascinated with our watches. Probably because they had buttons and he was fascinated with pushing buttons.
10) Shorts. It's not culturally appropriate to walk around in public in them, but would have been nice to have a pair to wear in our room. It can get toasty mid-day.
We bought a pair of sunglasses from a street vendor, who assured us they were kids' sunglasses.
Um, wrong. Oh well, he enjoyed them while they lasted, which was about 24 hours.
Things We Brought But Should Have Packed in our Checked Luggage Before We Tried to Travel Back With the Added Load of a Kid and All His Stuff:
1) Lonely Planet guide
2) Memory foam neck rests -- they're great, but don't really pack well, and when you're trying to get a kid from Point A to Point B, traveling light takes on a whole new meaning
3) Business cards -- should have put one in each suitcase for easier return of lost luggage on our way home. Small child found them and took them to play with and we didn't want to make him cry. Never saw them again. Next time they go in the suitcases before we leave home.
Our lost luggage, which miraculously was found the day after I filed a $1200 claim against the airline. I remember wanting to put a business card in each one before leaving for the airport and then realizing that T had absconded with them all. *sigh* Oh well, yet another story to tell about that trip.
This is so great! I've been meaning to write the same post since we got home a month ago. But, I don't have the added insight of the "traveling home with a kids" perspective. Hadn't thought about the ginger or the sunglasses. Will add that to my packing list for Trip #2.
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