The Omo Valley
Ethiopia |
The Omo Valley, in southern Ethiopia, is a land full of some of the most traditional tribes in the world and a truly unique destination. The story of the Omo is best told through pictures, not words; luckily, Amee (my trusty travel companion) is a wonderful photographer. So this is more of a photo essay – be sure to launch the slideshow and read the descriptions under the photos to get some context.
Kudos to Amee for most of the photos (hers are the good ones!). You can see more of her images from the trip (including some more gorgeous portraits) on the Gallery page at www.ameechande.com.
And Amee – thank you for, once again, flying around the world to be with me for my birthday!!
– Nikki
Click on any photo to launch a slideshow of the images…
Crocs and Hippos to start
Typical road shot – there was an incredible amount of cattle on the road at all times
Village life – making injera trays
Village life – work in the fields
Village life – special coffee ceremony here as well
A typical lunch spot – Amee is with Lalo, our guide, and Haptath, our driver
Key Afar market – overwhelming
Key Afar market – Banna women
Key Afar market
Key Afar market – Banna man and son. Most of the children choose their own unique hair style
The men carry these “stools’ with them everywhere. In the day they sit on them and at night they use them for pillows
Buying injera for our camping trip to the Mursi
Camping at a Mursi village
Hiking through the forest to the river with Mursi man
Mursi women around their fire
The Mursi are famous for their huge lip plates
Mursi woman – body scarification is common and she is also wearing an ear disc
Learning Mursi from the kids
Mursi
Mursi man with his flock
Mursi man and son – body painting is also common
The Karo tribe are well-known for their body painting
Karo child
Surma men – note their dangling ears – they often wear ear plates and the sticks are very important. Stick fighting is an important cultural activity.
Surma woman
Bodi man – look carefully at his unique hair style
Stunning Bodi girl
Gorgeous hair for a Bodi baby
Bodi woman at the market
Bodi man – also with stick
Bodi market
Bodi men – note the bare buttocks. They are usually completely naked under the “wrap”
Bodi woman
Bodi
Bodi on the way to market
Heavy load
Unique vessels for head carrying
Jinka market – traditional Ari greeting
Traditional shoulder to shoulder greeting
Trying the local beer
For this brew, you have to drink with someone
Some Ari dancing
Birthday celebrations in an African hut
Our hosts
First birthday cake ever – a clear winner!
Coffee from traditional calabash bowls
Traditional Hammer women at Dimeka
Very beautiful
Different necklace styles
Amee making friends
Buying the bar drinks for my birthday in Dimeka
Happy with full glasses
My new friends – they were actually much happier and friendlier than they look here
That’s better
Camping in a Hammer village for the night
Next door neighbours
Gorgeous setting
Young Hammer girls
Hammer man
Hammer child
Hammer wife – the necklace style indicates she is the first wife
Hammer market at Turmi
Hammer market
Hammer market
Hammer market – sitting on their stools
These women have scars on their back from the caning they receive at the Bull Jumping ceremonies – when young men come of age
The men with the feathers are the ones who do the caning
Crossing the river at the beginning of our jouney to find a Bull Jumping ceremony
Going further into the middle of nowhere to chase the Bull Jumping ceremony
After the accident. Unfortunately we weren’t successful in finding the ceremony but Lalo and I did manage to crash our motorbike (and escape with just some nasty scratches and bruised ribs). We hitched a lift back with this fellow.
Chilling at the Omo river with some Daanasech kids at Omorate
The Daanasech men put colored clay on their hair to make elaborate patterns
The Daanasech
The Daanasech
Daanasech girl – she has animal fat on her body to look more attractive
Insisting they take my picture for a change
More trying of the local brew
Dorze houses are built to stand two stories high and last 100 years. Over time they decrease in size from termites (as per the one on the right)
Inside a Dorze house – with a separate inside compartment for the animals (who use the same front door) and lots of chairs and jugs for inviting the neighbours over.
Cheers – with the local Dorze brew as we prepare to head home