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Socialising in Hamed Ale

By on 2. January 2011 in Ethiopia
Young Afar girl playing, Afar village of Hamed Ale, Danakil Depression, Ethiopia

Young Afar girl playing, Afar village of Hamed Ale, Danakil Depression, Ethiopia

We loved staying in Hamed Ale. Liza knew lots of people and our little camp attracted children and village VIPs alike. Halima, an amazing and charming nine year old girl, had bewitched all of us. She was around from dawn to dusk, bringing along various friends. Also the village chief hung out there, showing off a small gun fastened to his hips. A souvenir from his pilgrimage to Jeddah / Saudi Arabia he bragged, only to add that at the age of 63 he will soon marry his fifth wife, somewhere in her early twenties. So within minutes we learned that he was the father of no less than 23 children, with more to come. Continue Reading →

Hamed Ale

By on 1. January 2011 in Ethiopia

Living In The Most Hostile Environment

Hut in the Afar village of Hamed Ale, Danakil Depression, Ethiopia

Hut in the Afar village of Hamed Ale, Danakil Depression, Ethiopia

Upon arrival in Hamed Ale, a simple hut made from branches was assigned to us by the village chief. Christos was furious. He had paid for something airier, a place with a shaded area outside. Shade is precious in the Danakil, there is none anywhere. Nevertheless, all the screaming and arguing did not get us a better place. That meant squeezing into our hut between late morning and late afternoon, when temperatures went way above 40 degrees Celsius (above 110 degrees Fahrenheit). There was no other way to be out of the sun. Continue Reading →

Ethiopia: Omo Valley – A Selection Of 25 Pictures

By on 1. January 2011 in Africa – Photos, Ethiopia, Ethiopia – Photos

Bull-Jumping Ceremony, Hamer People, near Turmi, Lower Omo Valley

There are not many places like the Lower Omo Valley in Southern Ethiopia on this planet! Where do you find so many different cultures and ethnic groups in a relatively small area who still cling to their traditional way of life? This is absolutely unique, even the “Birr for Photo” business – Here you find a selection of 25 pictures from Ethiopia (Lower Omo Valley) Continue Reading →

Berahile – Police Station

By on 1. January 2011 in Ethiopia
Hut in the Afar village of Hamed Ale, Danakil Depression, Ethiopia

Hut in the Afar village of Hamed Ale, Danakil Depression, Ethiopia

The police station outside of the village was deserted. It was past 11:00 am and the heat had already brought life to a complete standstill. So Liza and Heidi went to look for the very chief to get our permit for the Danakil. Continue Reading →

Mekele – The Windy City

By on 1. January 2011 in Ethiopia
Landing in Mekele

Landing in Mekele

After the second attempt the plane managed to take off from Addis Abeba to Mekele, Ethiopia’s fifth largest city: the first attempt ended when the pilot abruptly interrupted the take off with engines already at full throttle. One engine failed, we learned later. Continue Reading →

8 Days In The Omo Valley

By on 31. December 2010 in Ethiopia

Mursi Woman, Mago National Park, Lower Omo Valley, Ethiopia

There are not many places like this on this planet! Where do you find so many different cultures and ethnic groups in a relatively small area who still cling to their traditional way of life? This is absolutely unique, even the “Birr for Photo” business. Continue Reading →

Ethiopian Roads

By on 30. December 2010 in Ethiopia
On the way to Shasheme Market, Omo Valley, South Ethiopia

On the way to Shasheme Market, Omo Valley, South Ethiopia

The roads in the Omo Valley are typical for thousands of kilometers of roads in rural Ethiopia. The vehicles, mainly 4WD and a few public busses drive on a bumpy dirt road that runs along a brand new road under construction. All stages of roadwork can be seen. To prevent cars from driving on the unfinished road mid-sized stones are placed on the sandy surface. There must be millions of these of these “blocking stones” – How many hours it took to put them there and remove them we will never be able to guess! Continue Reading →

Key Afar Market

By on 30. December 2010 in Ethiopia
Key Afar Market, Banna People, Lower Omo Valley, South Ethiopia

Key Afar Market, Banna People, Lower Omo Valley, South Ethiopia

A long procession of Banna people marching towards Key Afar was the first indication that it was market day in this tiny village. As always women were almost crushed under incredible heavy loads of firewood, maize and other produce, while men gingerly walked their goats to be sold like a pet. Continue Reading →

The Mursi’s Love For Birr

By on 29. December 2010 in Ethiopia
The most distinctive of all ethnic groups in the Omo Valley: the Mursi, famous for the huge Lip Plates the women are sporting. Mago National Park, near Jinka, Lower Omo Valley, South Ethiopia

The most distinctive of all ethnic groups in the Omo Valley: the Mursi, famous for the huge Lip Plates the women are sporting. Mago National Park, near Jinka, Lower Omo Valley, South Ethiopia

Only at the second village things took their course. The Mursi stormed towards us when we got out of the cars, pulled and tugged, displayed scars, lips with and without plates, Kalashnikovs – Nobody wanted to be overlooked. Continue Reading →

The Mursi – Lip Plates & Kalashnikovs

By on 28. December 2010 in Ethiopia
The most distinctive of all ethnic groups in the Omo Valley: the Mursi, famous for the huge Lip Plates the women are sporting. Mago National Park, near Jinka, Lower Omo Valley, South Ethiopia

The most distinctive of all ethnic groups in the Omo Valley: the Mursi, famous for the huge Lip Plates the women are sporting. Mago National Park, near Jinka, Lower Omo Valley, South Ethiopia

The most distinctive of all ethnic groups in the Omo Valley are the Mursi, famous for the huge Lip Plates the women are sporting. The bigger, the more beautiful… These disks made of wood or clay certainly are not comfortable to wear. So unless there is a special occasion women do without them. What is left then is a huge loop of shriveled lip dangling from the mouth, a rather irritating sight. Ear lobes are also stretched and scarification is highly desired, as with the Hamer. Continue Reading →