Since the day I begun traveling, I dreamed that one day I will visit the lower Omo valley. The reason was none other than the amazing series of photos from the Mursi tribe that I saw in a french photography magazine. The lip plates, the body painting, the local...
I went to bed with my noise cancelling earphones so I managed to sleep longer. The noise from the neighboring Orthodox church is defeating and the priest could use some singing classes. After breakfast, we headed to Key Afer, one hour drive, to visit the largest...
The night was short. I woke up at 3:30 by the screaming loudspeakers of the neighboring Orthodox church. Apparently the mass in Ethiopia starts at 4am and won't finish until 7:30. Not a good start for what I was afraid to be a challenging day. I had read a lot about...
From Turmi to Omorate is about an hour drive over very good tarmac. A blasé government official in an indifferent office checked our passports and registered the details in a logbook, as this is the last town before the Kenyan border. I wonder if anyone ever checks...
The breakfast at the Turmi Lodge was minimal. I am sure it had to do with the fact that we were the only guests, but still it was a major disappointment. I settled for some coffee, some juice and what were allegedly french toasts. We drove some 40km west, through...
The breakfast at the Paradise Lodge overlooking lake Chamo was pleasant, but as with every state-run establishment in Ethiopia, we had serious issues in communicating with the staff. Their English is poor and their training, well, poorer. We drove to Konso, a small...
Wegderes is difficult to pronounce, but I had to master it. That was the name of our guide and driver for our one week trip to southern Omo Valley, to meet some of the tribes that live in this remote part of Ethiopia called the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and...
Addis Ababa, meaning the New Flower in Amharic, is the capital of Ethiopia. Founded in 1866 by emperor Menelik II hosts more than 4 million people and growing at 3,8% annually! It did not look like this when my taxi drove me from the airport to the Intercontinental at...