FOR HEALTHY TRIP

When taking longer air trips walk up and down the aisle few times during the flight. You can also give your neck, wrists and ankles circular movements to help your circulation. To minimize the effect of jet-lag, eat light and cut down on caffeine starting 48 hours prior to your trip. A flue and a flight may mean an ear trouble for you. If you have a cold get the advice of medical professional to avoid an ear problem before taking the flight. This is especially very important for young children.

AT THE AIRPORT

Check in times for domestic flights are one hour prior departure. For international flights you must check in minimum of two hours prior to your departure. Late arrivers may be denied boarding when flights are overbooked. Some airlines assign seats only at the airport, so that you may have the seat you want or to be able to seat together with other members of your family try to arrive to the airport two to three hours prior to departure. Request your seat assignment, if possible at the time of your reservation. If you have a problem at the airport such as a missed flight or a lost luggage or a cancelled reservation do not speak to busy agent. Speak to a supervisor or a customer representative directly.

Addis Ababa, the Capital of modern Ethiopia, and gateway for most tourists, is the political and commercial heart of the Country. Now a city of 78 million people, it was founded by Emperor Menelik in 1887. Addis Ababa is the country's commercial, manufacturing, and cultural center. It is the focus of a highway network, the site of an international airport, and the terminus of a railroad to the Gulf of Aden port of Djibouti. In the city there are printing industries, and manufactures include footwear, clothing, asbestos and metal products, processed foods, cement, and plywood. Flourishing handicraft industries produce leather, metal, and textile goods, which are traded along with the regional agricultural produce, such as coffee, tobacco, and dairy items, in the vast open-air market known as the Mercato, on the west side of the city.

Addis Ababa is a sprawling city, well wooded, especially with eucalyptus trees, and crossed by broad avenues. Modern, multistoried buildings sit side by side with traditional one- and two story structures and open spaces. Its high elevation gives the city a mild, pleasant climate. The city is the seat of Addis Ababa University (1950), schools of music and art, and several research institutes. As headquarters of the African Union and the UN Economic Commission for Africa, the city is the scene of many international conferences. Of note in the city are the octagon-shaped Saint George Coptic Christian Cathedral (1896), the modern Africa Hall with its dramatic stained-glass windows, and the Menelik II Palace, as well as several museums with collections of art, ethnology, and archaeology.