This is what oil money can buy: MCI-ORD-DOH-ADD

Tues/Wed/Thu , Jan 6-8,, 27 hours door to door

Flight from O’hare to Doha, Qatar on Qatar Airways was very pleasant.  I had terrible guilt about flying this airline, but have had enough with the Ethiopian Airlines non-stop from Dulles which is vastly overpriced and quite ordinary even in business class, aside from the sleeping comfort of the seat.

Qatar was entirely different.  I was disappointed when boarding with the “plain Jane” appearance of the business seats.  However they were wide and comfortable.  Movie selection was excellent and the service was remarkable.  In addition to the usual amenities, I was offered pajamas (which I refused) and “turn down service” where a sheet and mattress pad were placed over the lay flat seat for sleeping. The menu was amazing; a la carte with more than 25 selections from soup to salad to entrees to dessert.  Each was irresistable and outstanding.

The Doha airport is a sight to behold.

  Undoubtedly new within the last year or two. Amazing in every respect and the business class lounge was indescribable.  Main lounge is the length of a football field and perhaps 2/3’s as wide and that is just the first floor. 

There is a wide winding staircase to a second level perhaps 1/3 the size of the first.  There is an incredible restaurant on each floor and all the food is free!.  Bars galore, vast buffet tables, prepared to order small plates, separate dessert buffet and on and on.

Arrived in Addis 1/2 hour late and the adventure begins.  Apparently only Ethiopian Airlines is allowed to use the main terminal, which itself is clearly third world.  Qatar was required to pull into the “local” terminal for all domestic flights.  This terminal is spartan/primitive third world.  There was not the usual table for “on arrival” visa.  Only after passengers started arriving (I was first off the plane) did they call for a visa agent from the main terminal which is a 10 minute walk away. Finally got out of the airport at 2am and had to bargain for a cab to drive me 1 1/2 miles, 4 min,  to my hotel (they initially wanted $20).

A reception person was sleeping on a cot in the lobby of this 15 room hotel, gave me the key to my somewhat chilly room.  Addis is sunny and warm during the day, and cools to 45 at night.  There is no heating or air conditioning in all but the newest buildings (where it often does not work anyway).

Barely slept and was picked up a few hours later by one of the residents for morning report.  The usual 5 trauma cases overnight.

On to the surgeon’s lounge where a post-Christmas (Xmas in Ethiopia was yesterday) morning feast was in progress.  Two festively attired aides were serving a huge plate of Ethiopian food (which is the same whether for breakfast, lunch or dinner . . . the meat and spices may vary but it all looks the same). Eaten with fingers of ocurse and no napkins. Hagos, who had visited us in Kansas City 2 months ago, reminded me that he had eaten everything served to him and I should do the same.  I was still stuffed from the airline and lounge feasts, so finessed this a bit.

Surgery today was transsphenoidal removal of a large pituitary tumor which went surprisingly well with a new fluoroscope machine since last year and a microscope that finally was working properly. They had never had the equipment or skill to do this surgery in the past, but have obviously done a lot of planning to be able to pull this off.

P.S. Wifi in the hotel was remarkable (compared to experience in years past).  However, as I write this, WiFi, T.V. and phone network are all not working.