Lunch was in route to the Omo Valley. The valley is part of the Great African Rift, so I'm in the southwestern corner of Ethiopia, which has borders with Kenya and Sudan.
Our driver today, Teddy, was giving us the scoop on the Africa Cup while we drove. He said that the Ethiopian team is made up of all "local" men, while many other teams are actually professional soccer players. That was why their tied match the other night was worth such a celebration. It's a David and Goliath story. And speaking of biblical references...
All along the side of the road are these lovely, huge plants called Sodom's Apples. The sap from them can blind you if you rub in your eyes. They grow a strange looking fruit that looks like a green apple. But when you open it, or step on it, it is just full of air. They are everywhere here.
As are these giant termite towers. Some had to be 10 feet high or more. Some where chimney shaped, but most looked like a little house with a chimney on top.
As we drove, we saw some more beautiful scenery, and many cotton fields. We saw mountains of cotton and men working on top of them. Claude told us that the land is now owned by an Ethiopian-American who has displaced some of the tribal peoples and taken their grazing land. Then the missionaries moved in and told them to put some clothes on. So their way of life is quickly changing. As many as two dozen different tribes occupy South Omo, some numbering in the thousands, some no more than 500. Some have been on the move due to land ownership issues, tribal wars, missionaries, and the government's plans to disarm them.
One guide book I read said that "as recently as 50 years ago the people of South Omo were scarcely aware that such an entity as Ethiopia existed."
I'm pretty sure that they know that they know now.
As we drove, we stopped at a group of young men, watering their cattle. These were boys and men from the Bena Tribe. They elaborately decorate their hair with clips and safety pins and bling themselves out with beads. This is to show creativity and wealth - along with the herd of cattle, of course. Claude calls the cattle "walking bank accounts" because that is what a family's wealth is measured by.
I finally got used to paying for photographs with these young men. They make it easy, that's for sure. A price is settled on, they stand facing the sun and look at the camera until you take the picture. They are professional, if not smiley. The trick is to compliment them or try to make them laugh. But that only happens after the transaction is complete. The creativity with the beads and the earrings made it easy to find a conversation piece.
Then we hit the road again, only to spot six boys from the Aari tribe doing a roadside show on stilts. It was too great to pass up, so our driver negotiated a fee o f 1 birr per kid - 6 birr for the shot. It was a steal, because they were so damn cute and also pretty talented. They were walking around and dancing on their homemade stilts, literally sticks that they had cut to match, with tiny notches for their feet.
We arrived at the Eco-Omo Safari Lodge. It is a brand new tent lodge, with wood fire-heated hot water, a bamboo floor and a cute little porch outside. Outside of the bar / restaurant, they have a dik-dik in an enclosure. It is the smallest antelope in Africa, and it resembles a cross between an antelope and a rabbit when it runs. Very cute. Since it is Ethiopia after all, the wireless was on for two hours, and during those two hours (which coincided with dinner), we lost power about four times, the generator had to kick on, and some people were very glad that they'd brought their flashlights for the dark walk back to the tents.
Maybe tonight I'll finally get to wash my hair, douse myself in Backwoods Off and not get too many mosquito bites.
Our driver today, Teddy, was giving us the scoop on the Africa Cup while we drove. He said that the Ethiopian team is made up of all "local" men, while many other teams are actually professional soccer players. That was why their tied match the other night was worth such a celebration. It's a David and Goliath story. And speaking of biblical references...
All along the side of the road are these lovely, huge plants called Sodom's Apples. The sap from them can blind you if you rub in your eyes. They grow a strange looking fruit that looks like a green apple. But when you open it, or step on it, it is just full of air. They are everywhere here.
As are these giant termite towers. Some had to be 10 feet high or more. Some where chimney shaped, but most looked like a little house with a chimney on top.
As we drove, we saw some more beautiful scenery, and many cotton fields. We saw mountains of cotton and men working on top of them. Claude told us that the land is now owned by an Ethiopian-American who has displaced some of the tribal peoples and taken their grazing land. Then the missionaries moved in and told them to put some clothes on. So their way of life is quickly changing. As many as two dozen different tribes occupy South Omo, some numbering in the thousands, some no more than 500. Some have been on the move due to land ownership issues, tribal wars, missionaries, and the government's plans to disarm them.
One guide book I read said that "as recently as 50 years ago the people of South Omo were scarcely aware that such an entity as Ethiopia existed."
I'm pretty sure that they know that they know now.
As we drove, we stopped at a group of young men, watering their cattle. These were boys and men from the Bena Tribe. They elaborately decorate their hair with clips and safety pins and bling themselves out with beads. This is to show creativity and wealth - along with the herd of cattle, of course. Claude calls the cattle "walking bank accounts" because that is what a family's wealth is measured by.
I finally got used to paying for photographs with these young men. They make it easy, that's for sure. A price is settled on, they stand facing the sun and look at the camera until you take the picture. They are professional, if not smiley. The trick is to compliment them or try to make them laugh. But that only happens after the transaction is complete. The creativity with the beads and the earrings made it easy to find a conversation piece.
Then we hit the road again, only to spot six boys from the Aari tribe doing a roadside show on stilts. It was too great to pass up, so our driver negotiated a fee o f 1 birr per kid - 6 birr for the shot. It was a steal, because they were so damn cute and also pretty talented. They were walking around and dancing on their homemade stilts, literally sticks that they had cut to match, with tiny notches for their feet.
We arrived at the Eco-Omo Safari Lodge. It is a brand new tent lodge, with wood fire-heated hot water, a bamboo floor and a cute little porch outside. Outside of the bar / restaurant, they have a dik-dik in an enclosure. It is the smallest antelope in Africa, and it resembles a cross between an antelope and a rabbit when it runs. Very cute. Since it is Ethiopia after all, the wireless was on for two hours, and during those two hours (which coincided with dinner), we lost power about four times, the generator had to kick on, and some people were very glad that they'd brought their flashlights for the dark walk back to the tents.
Maybe tonight I'll finally get to wash my hair, douse myself in Backwoods Off and not get too many mosquito bites.
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