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Ethiopia was so much more than we expected and I would have omitted just one place from the itinerary...El Sod. In the over 30+ years that we've been traveling the globe, Ethiopia takes the prize for the extreme diversity of sights. Not occasional sights but daily sights. Even though the roads were often brutal, we eagerly jumped in the car every day not knowing what unique experiences that day would bring!
I don't know why we waited so long to visit Ethiopia. Actually, I do know. The same reasons and worries that too many of us have and use as an excuse for not visiting Ethiopia. The warnings about war, famine, etc. Since pictures can say a thousand words, here are just a few of my favorite images that I hope leave you with a burning desire to visit this wonderful country from North to South.
 Hamer woman
Continue reading "You Have Got to Visit Fantabulous, Exotic South Ethiopia" »
The 73 million Ethiopians only have an average life expectancy of 48 years and this was easy to understand after three weeks traveling around Ethopia. There is a daily struggle:
- To grow crop on hillsides, between rocks, and lack of water
- Find clean drinking water or any water at all. Long walks with empty 5-gallon containers to a well from their village and the return with a full 5-gallon container
- Carry possessions and heavy bags of food manually. Young children of five years were carrying more than I could lift
- Heat, Malaria
Heartbreaking to watch their struggle. Henock started up the car for the long drive back to Addis. Out of Wenney's Eco-Lodge and past a few unusual Muslim graves. (Henock thinks the tomb of a "man riding a bull" was probably a farmer.) Even though Muslims usually don't have images, they seemed to combine their religious beliefs with ancient traditions in this area, ergo, pictures. Throughout the entire South, this was the only area that Muslim graves looked like this. Interesting and colorful.
 depiction of man riding a horse
 farmer riding a bull
Continue reading "The Road Back to Addis Ababa" »
An all-day drive from Yabelo back to Lake Langano and Wenney's Eco-Lodge. Eight hours in total including lunch and pee breaks. The days highlights were:
- A dead hyena on the road. Henock thought it was a pregnant female;
- At least four overturned trucks; and
- Lots of road kill. ...View image...
Leaving Borena country we entered Gudji Tribal country with their unusual style of hair, clothes and houses. View image... One woman was carrying her own coffee pot. (I can relate to that.) Most of the Gudjis are Protestants and one house had "God is love" written on it.
 the dead Hyena was the only one we saw throughout the south
Continue reading "The Gudji People and Awasa Rift Valley" »
A surprise today! The 100km/62mi drive from Konso to Yabelo only took 2-1/2 hours because the road had been fixed. This was as far south as this trip to Ethiopia would take us and not far from the border of Kenya. Scenes along the road today were poisonous devil apple bushes that neither animals nor people eat; herds of camels...View image...; people walking along the roads with sticks protruding from their mouths. Toothbrushes. A lot easier to cut a twig from a tree and start brushing away. Perhaps that's why the Ethiopians had such beautiful, white teeth.
The Borena are semi-nomads who live on lands from Northern Kenya into the dry plains around Yabelo. Their existance revolves around their cattle and trying to keep these herds alive. Without cattle, they have nothing. Their remedy is a series of wells. Each Borena family and clan has its own well.
 on the path out of the well
Continue reading "Borena People and Singing Wells" »
Lunch and a visit to a Konso Village with a local guide, "Choo-choo" while Henock cleaned the Toyota. He kept it immaculate and couldn't stand it when it became covered with dust.
Dara (the Konso village) doesn't receive as many visitors as the other villages along the main road and we were greeted enthusiastically. Konso people are different from the other tribes we've visited to now. They are a pagan society with a specialized agricultural economy. They construct stone terraced fields, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The villages are on hill tops, surrounded by stone walls and you enter a Konso house on your hands and knees through a wooden tunnel. (We never actually entered a house.) Very smart because if your visitor happened to be an enemy, it would be easy to knock him off.
 our guide, Choo-choo
Continue reading "Dara, a Konso Village" »
Packed up and on the road again in the direction of Konso for one night with new road sights. Trees with the wood or straw bee hives perched up in the branches. ...View image... We'd seen these throughout Ethiopia and Henok filled us in. Each tree belongs to one person who leaves the hive up there for 3-4 months before smoking out the bees to gather honey. Gigantic termite mounds...View image...and workers in the fields....View image...
Across another dry river bed separating Hamer and Arbore country with a stop at the first Arbore village. They didn't want us! This was a shock...they didn't want our Birrs for photos? Unthinkable! Oh well....on to the next village with about 100 residents. ...View image... We bought one man's wooden pillow (this one was a little "older" but still younger than myself) and lavishly distributed Birrs for photos.
 Arbore boys
Continue reading "Arbore People Along The Road to Konso" »
Three nights at the Evangadi Lodge and Campground in Turmi with day trips scheduled. Turmi is a minute, one street, dirt road town but there is a lot to see in the South Omo Region. The campground has facilities for your own tent and individual cottages. There is also a very nice row of toilets and showers. Again, nothing flushes (use buckets of water) and the water isn't "hot" but after the pipes sit in a 94+ degree F during the day, the water is warm enough and I'm grateful that I'm not one of those poor people hefting water from the well.
ex-Marine and I were blown away by a couple staying here from Holland with their little pop-up camper...View image... and their three beautiful little blonde girls, ages 10, 9 and 5. Home schooling, doing their own cooking, camping everywhere, and planning on a year's trip throughout Africa. We noticed them earlier in the Key Afar Market posing with one of the warriors. They do not speak Amharic or any other of the many languages spoken in Africa. Did you realize that there are 53 African countries? Somehow they are managing. See? It can be done. Not by me, but this woman has to qualify for sainthood living in a camper day-after-day with three children.
 an intrepid mother
Continue reading "Three Nights in Turmi and The Turmi Market" »
I've written about this before but it keeps on happening... DO NOT hand out pens, caramels, sweets, soap, balloons, "MAWNEE" or plastic water bottles to the children. In the Mursi village, an English couple handed out balloons to the children. Two days later, we're in a Karo village and the children are already asking for balloons. What good are balloons to an impoverished, subsistence village? They'll break or tear within a day and all that's left is for the children to ask every other tourist who comes their way for balloons. Henock and all smart guides say don't give ANYTHING! Make a donation to the local school, orphanage or hospital.
Even the plastic water bottles are a threat to their health. Their traditional wide calabashes can be washed and kept clean, worn on their heads as a hat when not in use and are easily available. It was always fun to see them sauntering along the road with a calabash on their head, or sitting in the market wearing one...never looking ridiculous.
 Hamer woman wearing a calabash
Continue reading "Please Don't Give Handouts While Traveling!" »
It was a 2-1/2 hour ride to Turmi for a stay at Evangadi Lodge. Next stop, a visit to the Karo People. The Karo also have an interesting culture and, with a population of around 1,500 people, are thought to be the Omo Valley's most endangered group. They've turned to agriculture since disease wiped out their cattle. ...View image...
The Karo are considered masters of body painting, especially when a dance, or celebration is coming up. Everyone paints their body...men, women and children. They use white chalk, yellow mineral rock, black charcoal and pulverized red iron ore. The men also have some wild hairstyles and ornaments. Did we see them? Yes. But it wasn't the body painting that gave me flop-sweats. It was the long nails sticking through their bottom lips for ornamentation.
 Karo with nail through lower lip
Continue reading "Into the Karo People Region" »
It's considered good luck to hold the ceremony across the river. Another 10-15 minute walk through the hot sands to a fairly open area. Some Hamer men concocted a small arbor and the prospective groom took off his goatskin and entered it naked. Blessings said over him for the next half hour while the bulls were herded into the clearing where they placidly stood around.
The ceremony was about to begin and men literally arm-wrestled the bulls into a compact line by grabbing their jaws, hanging on to their tails while we tourists furiously clicked away through the clouds of sand. ...View image... Every now and then, one of the bulls would make a mad dash for freedom while tourists jumped out of the way. Brutally hot standing and sitting around in the sun with no shade.
 Hamer jumper before removing his goatskin
Continue reading "The Hamer Man Jumps The Bulls" »
The six or seven tourist 4WD's that were fortunate enough to be at Dimeka that Saturday morning peeled out of there around 2:00 pm. It was going to be a long Jumping of The Bulls Ceremony. Henok drove to the edge of a dried up river bed, parked the car under a lonesome tree and we started walking in the extremely hot sand to a shadier area where the Hamers were gathering. Half dressed women were busy dancing in circles, drinking a home-made alchoholic brew, and tooting a horn calling the Hamers to leave the Dimeka market for the ceremony.
The prospective groom's father sat down with the tourist guides and hammered out a price, settling on 150 Birr per person, no senior citizen discounts. Once that was decided on, we were free to take pictures and videos. Such a deal...an all-inclusive price. The elders and women continued passing around a bottle of a strong rotgut to get everyone liquored up and/or drunk for the festive occasion. After about an hour of watching them sing and dance, the ceremony got under way. First, they ground up powder for face painting...View image...
 Hamer women practicing their dance
Continue reading "The Hamer Bull Jumping Ceremony Began" »
A short rest at a lodge built for wealthy hunters and back to Orit. there was another tribe to see, the Dassanech but we had had it. Henock said they were very similar to the other tribes and we were wiped out...
Back on the road the next day to the Dimeka Saturday market, another five-hour ride. Along the road were Banna with their cattle, wearing beautiful turquoise colored beading. ...View image... The Banna number around 45,000, live on higher ground east of Mago National Park and practice agriculture. Several hours later, we crossed a gully into Hamer country.
The Hamer number around 50,000. They cultivate sorghum, tobacco, cotton, vegetables and rear cattle and goats. These people are also known for fantastic hairstyles and coppery tresses. The women mix ochre (a powdered red clay), water and butter before rubbing into their hair. Beats Clairol. If a man has recently killed something (man or animal), he is allowed to wear a clay hair bun with feathers. ...View image... Before you knew it, we were at the Dimeka Saturday market. Henock gave us an hour to wander around before lunch across the street. (They had packed a lunch for us.) ...View image... Then, more "free time" to investigate the market.
 little naked stilt walkers on the way to Dimeka
Continue reading "Dimeka, The Hamers and Jumping of the Bulls" »
Henock is a fantastic guide. He is one of 22 guides for Green Land but only a few of them actually studied for several years in tourism school. From Jinka today, we'll drive through Mago National Park and visit a Mursi village with a population of 100-150 people. It's not easy to visit, or get to, a Mursi village and this one is on the banks of the Omo River, a two-hour drive in each direction over more rotten roads. There are other villages further downstream, (a total of perhaps 20) visitable only by boat or rafting. The Mursi live in inhospitable areas and must contend with mosquitoes, tse-tse flies... Not only do they have to put up with many hardships but you have to be adventurous to visit this worthwhile area of Ethiopia.
There are only around 6,500 Mursi who move between the lower Tama Plains and Mursi Hills depending on the season. The Mursi don't go to school and are illiterate. As subsistence farmers, they collect honey, rear cattle and are famous for: Fierce stick fighting between the men; and Lip plates worn by the women for beauty.
 entering Mago National Park
Continue reading "Mago National Park and the Mursi People" »
As Henock approached Key Afar, brilliantly dressed people were approaching from all directions. The Banna in brown, Tsemay/Tsermay dressed in red and yellow, the Ari. More Banna people wearing goat skin skirts consisting of six different pieces (and colors) of goat. Warriors with feathers in their heads. Some Hamer with a little clay cap on their heads. Where to look first! ...View image... It was overwhelming. Beaded earrings, beaded arm bands, decorated legs, carrying, selling...
We only spent about one hour in the market because it was almost intimidating. So many good-looking men...beautiful women...children practicing their English on us...too many "things" (not made for tourists) to choose from. It was impossible to make a decision and I finally gave up. ... View image... ...Watch the video and see for yourself...
 different tribes approaching the market
Continue reading "The "Completely Beyond Belief" Key Afar Market" »
The Lower Omo Valley is home to some of Africa's most colorful ethnic groups and originally was the focus of our trip to Ethiopia until we were convinced to add the North (glad we did). Ancient customs and traditions have remained largely intact here with Animism still the religion, and wars occasionally breaking out between the neighboring tribes.
Some of the many tribes we were going to visit in the South could possibly all be at the once-a-week Key Afar Market. The Derase, Tsemay, Ari and Banna people. But even before we reached Key Afar on the way to Jinka, we drove and stopped to see a Derase village where the people were heading to the fields. The Derase grow maize, sorghum and carry a bottle with these grains mixed with water to the fields for lunch. ...View image... They pick greens from a tree that resembles spinach to make a sauce and also use their spears as tools ...View image...and the women have a tattoo down the middle of the forehead.
 Derase woman on her way to the fields
Continue reading "The Tribes of Jinka" »
The morning excursion into Nechisar National Park was on an excruciatingly bad road. Nechisar has endemic Swayne's hartebeest, Burchell's zebra, klipspringers, Olive baboons, black and white Abyssinian Colobus monkeys and more. You didn't have to move from Swayne's to see the baboons running past our room (and looking in the windows) early in the morning until the local dogs chased them away.
Nechisar is one of the least visited national parks in Africa. (We could see why.) With a diverse habitat ranging from savannah to acacia woodland to bush and forest, there are many animal sightings. Burchell's zebra is sometimes seen in herds of 100 animals or more. There are also spotted hyenas, leopard, black-backed jackals and rarely one of the few Abyssinian lions or African hunting dogs. Both extremely endangered.
 entering Nechisar National Park
Continue reading "Nechisar National Park and Crocodiles" »
One last stop before Swaynes Hotel, a visit to the Dorze with their unique culture, houses and traditions (pop: 35,000-40,000). The Dorze live up in the Guge Mountains and are famous for their huge huts built with intersecting bamboo. The roof is covered with enset (the false banana tree) and is shaped like an elephant's trunk....View image...
The huts also resembled large bee hives and stood up to 12m/36'. ...View image... Even though they looked as if a strong "huffing and puffing' would blow the houses over, the Dorze know how to build! If rot or termites destroy them, they simply cut around the bottom, lift and move them over to a new location. They can last up to 60 years which is a lot longer than most of our houses.
 the main Dorze house
Continue reading "The Dorze People" »
Greeted in the morning by Colobus monkeys, breakfast and back into the 4WD towards Arbaminch/Arba Minch ("forty springs" in Amharic). Arba Minch is southwestern Ethiopia's largest city and almost on the doorstep of Nechisar National Park. There was a lot to see today with the biggest stop at the highland towns of Dorze and Chencha.
But first, passed by Alba Tribe territory with decorated houses (rather like the Gurunsi in North Ghana and Berkina Faso). They are farmers and we saw many Alba on the road wearing tall straw hats, and bringing their cattle to be watered. A brief stop in Shashemane for gas and we crossed to street to the local drugstore to buy some generic Dramamine. The druggist spoke perfect English and sold what we needed... 12 pills for 50 cents...of course, who knows how long they had been sitting there and whether they really helped us (mind over matter)...
 an Alba decorated house
Continue reading "Arbaminch/Arba Minch and Tribes of Ethiopia" »
Ethiopia Continued...
Up again at 5:00 am to arrive at the Lalibela Airport two hours before flight time. A short flight back to Addis that took most of the morning. Stops at Axum, Bahirdar, finally landing at Addis. Met by Henok who would be our guide and Yidneck, the cook, for the next 10 days, we loaded up the 4WD and were off for the five-hour drive to Wenney's Ecolodge on Lake Langano.
The drive passed through the Great Rift Valley a 6,000 mile crack (fissure) in the earth's crust. The rift runs runs from Northern Syria to central Mozambique. It was formed by violent subterranean forces that tore apart the earth's crust causing huge chunks of the crust to sink and force up molten rock in volcanic eruptions. These plates split the older Ethiopian highlands into halves. You can still see volcanic activity along the rift in numerous hot springs. I vividly remember seeing the rift on a long trip through Jordan where the southern end of the Red Sea marks a fork in the rift.
 south Ethiopia area
Continue reading "Into The Tribal Region - South Ethiopia" »
We were so happy that Sue talked us into visiting the Historic Northern part of Ethiopia. Even though "religious" will never describe either of us, it was impossible not to get swept up. Some of the many North Ethiopia highlights were:
- The extreme, almost messianic fervor the people poured into the Ethiopian Orthodox Christian area. This encompassed everything from the symbolic graves for Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the Star of David on church ceilings, paintings of Jesus Christ and Noah's Ark together, the Ark of the Covenant, and King Solomon thrown in for good measure. Impossible to tell where the Old Testament stopped and the New Testament began;
- Constant road sightings of people dressed all in white walking with staffs over shoulders, carrying goods, tending flocks, and riding little donkeys;
 walking in the dust
Continue reading "North Ethiopia Thoughts and Suggestions" »
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