Other than the eleven Unesco churches in Lalibela, the surrounding countryside is also worth a visit. We ventured out of the main part of town to visit the semi-cave church of Nakutoleab built in the 13th century and the Yemrehanna Kristos church. As the name would suggest, Nakutoleab church is named after King Na’akuto La’ab … Continue reading Lalibela Part 2 Oct 2018
Lalibela is a town in northern Ethiopia famous for its monolithic rock-cut churches sunk into the ground and built between the 7th and 13th centuries. These churches are one of the nine UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Ethiopia. What makes them different is that they were not constructed stone by stone, instead they were constructed … Continue reading Lalibela Part 1 Oct 2018
When I tell my friends I am visiting Ethiopia, many of them still had the image of hunger and poverty-stricken children with their large tummies publicized during the Live Aid concerts of the mid-1980s. Ethiopia still experiences droughts and I am sure there are still malnourished children in the country. But it is more than … Continue reading Addis Ababa Oct 2018
Our short visit to Omo Valley is quickly coming to an end. On our last morning we visited the Dorze Tribe on our way to the airport in Arba Minch from where we will fly back to the capital Addis Ababa. There are an estimated 30,000 Dorze people mostly living in villages near Chencha and … Continue reading Omo Valley Part 6: Dorze Village Sep 2018
From Turmi, we drove for about 3 hours north to reach Konso where we stayed at the Kanta Lodge. The Konso Tribe is known for their fortified settlements and their Waka totem poles and is one of the nine Unesco World Heritage sites in Ethiopia. These wakas or totem poles are carvings created in memory … Continue reading Omo Valley Part 5: Konso Village Sep 2018
In Omo Valley, there are market days several times a week where tribespeople from the region congregate to buy and sell products as well as exchange news. Our trip coincided with two of the larger markets in the area: the Thursday Key Afer Market near Jinka and the Saturday Dimeka Market near Turmi. Key Afer … Continue reading Omo Valley Part 4: Key Afer and Dimeka Markets Sep 2018
Hamar Tribe in the Omo Valley is best known for their Bull-Jumping ritual where young men have to jump over cattle as a rite of passage into adulthood and to prove their worth to the family of their intended bride. These completely naked young men must jump/run over the backs of a line of 8 … Continue reading Omo Valley Part 3: Hamar Tribe Sep 2018
Amongst the tribes in the Omo Valley, the most interesting ones to visit are the Mursi, the Karo, and the Hamar. About 2-3 hours drive from Jinka is Turmi which is the base for tourists wanting to visit the Karo and Hamar tribes. Most of the roads are in subpar conditions with many potholes and … Continue reading Omo Valley Part 2: Karo Tribe Sep 2018
After visiting the Himba tribe in northwest Namibia last fall, I have been yearning to visit and photograph other African tribes before they get completely swallowed by our fast changing modern world. I decided to plan a trip to Omo Valley in the southern part of Ethiopia where there are about 10 distinct tribes. Omo … Continue reading Omo Valley Part 1: Mursi Tribe Sep 2018
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