South Ethiopia

Visited: December 2004

Duration of visit: 24 days

Capital city: Addis Ababa

Population: 75 million (2005)

South Ethiopia travel blog reading time: 13 minutes

• The New Year celebration and comfort in Addis Ababa.
• Meeting Ethiopia’s most famous athlete, Haile Gebrselassie.
• Visiting Omo Valley independently and exploring local tribes.
• A brief 20-minute encounter with Mursi tribe that I will never forget.

Ethiopia was part of my overland trip from Europe, through the Middle East and East Africa – the African Big Tour. Although I was already experienced and familiar with Africa by the time, I reached Ethiopia, the sudden shift from strictly Muslim Sudan to more liberal Ethiopia was a real culture shock.

After the particularly aggressive attitude of the locals toward foreign visitors partly ruined my trip in northern Ethiopia, I was able to relax more in the south and enjoyed it much more. Although there aren’t many landmarks or places to visit, the true highlight of the region lies in its traditional tribes.

In this article I describe the following topics from the first part of my trip – South Ethiopia:

• New Year celebration in Addis Ababa
• Meeting Ethiopia’s greatest athlete, Haile Gebrselassie
• Visiting the Omo Valley by public transport
• Mingling with the Mursi and Hamer people

More articles about Ethiopia are available here:

Arriving in Addis Ababa after days of testing my patience on public transport in the north was a real relief. In 2004, it was still one of the less developed capitals in East Africa, but it offered a wider variety of food, better accommodation, and more entertainment options than everything I had experienced in the previous two weeks up north.

I arrived on 31^st of December 2004, ready for a New Year Celebration. I joined forces together with some backpackers and found one of the most rundown bars in the city. We enjoyed cold an inexpensive drink, had some great conversation and danced with locals after midnight.

Ethiopian ladies were mostly on duty, looking for boys that could buy them expensive drinks and pay for sexual service, while local men were dancing like crazy. Their super flexible bodies were moving like chewing gums in harmony with the beats of popular music.

Eskista is a traditional cultural dance from the Amhara ethnic group, where the emphasis is on rolling shoulder blades, bouncing the shoulders and jilting the chest. Eskista dance is performed by children, men and women, mostly in groups. It is a popular way of entertainment at parties, family gatherings, celebrations and weddings.

The highlight of my stay in Addis Ababa was meeting Ethiopia’s most famous athlete, Haile Gebrselassie; a two-time Olympic champion and four-time world champion.

Accompanied by a group of three Dutch friends, I found out that he owned a cafeteria in the southern area of the city and drove there with a simple plan:

“Let’s have a coffee in Haile’s cafeteria and wait until he shows up!”

In January 2005, Haile was still one of the best athletes in the world, switching from long distance runner to marathon and probably training full time, so our plan seemed to be pretty naïve. After sitting in the Olympic café for an hour we realized that Haile might not show up that day, but I asked the bartender, when was the best time to catch up with the owner. He directed me to Haile’s brother, who was supervising the staff and kindly attended us.

“No problem, Haile will be here again tomorrow at 11:00am, after he will finish the morning training. If you come by, he will be happy to attend you!”

The following day, we arrived promptly at 10:30am to ensure that we would not be late for our meeting with Ethiopia’s most prominent celebrity.

Haile Gebrselassie parked his black Mercedes in the parking lot right at 11:00am.

“Hello my friends. My brother told me that you wanted to meet me. Here I am!”

It was amazing that he took the time to come by just to greet five backpackers visiting his café.

Humble, with smile on his face and dressed in a tracksuit, he talked with us for 15 minutes, signed autographs and posed for a photo. I was thoroughly impressed by his genuine simplicity and integrity.

One of the most memorable moments in the context of encountering celebrities.

If Ethiopia’s northern highlands are its historic heartland, the southern lowlands are home to ethnic groups who maintain ancient traditions, living from simple farming and herding. With its deep history and cultural diversity, the Omo Valley is often called a museum of people.

During my 10-day stay in Addis Ababa, I didn’t do much sightseeing or explore its popular places to visit. I finally set out to explore southern Ethiopia, aiming to visit the Omo Valley, famous for its tribes living in close harmony with nature. This region has little public transport, poor roads, and limited accessibility.

Most tourists and travelers rent a jeep with a driver, paying a few hundred dollars a day for comfort and convenience. But as a passionate, independent traveler, I refused to give up my backpacker spirit or waste money unnecessarily. I politely turned down the offers from comfortable (but costly) travel agencies and, against all advice, decided to explore the south using local transport.

In addition to the challenges posed by a crowded public bus and a half-century-old Fiat truck, the most striking experience was riding in the trunk of an Isuzu pickup truck.

The pickup truck’s cabin was full, so I climbed into the back and stood next to a strong man from the Hamer tribe.

I had to hold strong in a company of other middle-aged guys dressed in short skirts and a cloth over their shoulders, with particular hairstyle in a form of cap with clay and plaster.

They were singing and screaming like crazy, probably consequences of drinking too much alcohol or sniffing hallucinating substances earlier that day.

We didn’t stop to pick up any other hitchhikers on the way. Later, I was told that one of the Hamer guys had killed a representative of a neighboring tribe two years before and hid the victim’s body in the woods. He had the status of a hero, being one of the most respected people in the community.  His particular hairstyle is actually allowed only for those who had killed an enemy or a dangerous animal.

Another memorable experience while traveling around the Omo Valley by local transport was my brave attempt to hitch a ride on a cargo truck loaded with goods from the local market. I had been hitchhiking along an empty road when it finally appeared.

We were 3 backpackers joining a dozen of locals, while climbing up to the trunk. In no more than a minute, approximately 200 people came out of nowhere and started jumping up, climbing and conquering all parts of the truck; literally trampling us.

I rigorously removed the two most aggressive boys off the truck, but the pressure from others didn’t stop. Overwhelmed by the relentless pressure from all directions, I ultimately gave up and jumped off the truck. It was simply too dangerous and unhuman multitude of passengers for a safe ride.

The highlight of my time in the Omo Valley was visiting the Mursi tribe. They live about 70 kilometers from the nearest town, in the remote southwest, one of the most isolated regions of the country.

There are still about 10,000 members of the Mursi community living in remote areas with very little contact with the modern world. I had my doubts about visiting them, since the impact of constant flow of visitors can cause change of their lifestyle on one side and the disbelief of the pristine experience with them.

Female members of the Mursi tribe are renowned for the practice of inserting a plate that can measure up to 12 centimeters in diameter into their lower lips.

In principle, a lip plate is linked with fertility and eligibility for marriage, a sign of beauty and identity, but according to some sources it can also be a sign of ugliness, as men left women at home during inter-tribal conflicts and they didn’t want them to show the beauty around.

Historians believe that this tradition originated as a protective measure against the dangers of the slave trade, as the mutilation of their lips would decrease their value and make them less likely to be targeted by slave traders.

Women’s lips are usually cut at the age of 15, when a small wooden stick is inserted. Through the years the lips are stretched out with larger sticks and eventually replaced with plates. Plates are used for special occasions: weddings, dwellings, serving food, dances and tourist visits.

For the rest of the time, extremely stretched lips hang unattractively as an ornament to the edge of the chin and can look terrifying. I have noticed that in some cases the lower lips can also tear, perhaps due to a decrease in elasticity or excessive insertion of oversized plates.

Men traditionally walk around completely naked, their bodies covered with clay and natural mineral colors. The body paint serves more as a form of symbolism and protection than decoration. The clay protects their skin from the strong sun, while white limestone helps repel insects. The most colorful decoration usually stands out on their XL size private parts.

Mursi grow sorghum, corn, beans, chickpeas and tobacco. The basis of their diet is a kind of porridge, prepared from sorghum and corn, usually mixed with milk and blood, taken directly from a wound on the neck of a cow. Cattle are a vital element of their diet, trade and wealth, also used for barter with grain during the dry periods.

We hired a pickup truck, a local guide, a driver, and a security guard armed with a rifle. From Jinka, it took us three hours of driving to reach the Mursi territory. Upon arrival, the guard watched over the vehicle while the driver protected us with a long stick. The Mursi are known for their assertive approach to trade, offering almost anything for sale and charging visitors for taking photographs.

We spent about 20 minutes arguing, negotiating and groping. I took photos of women, who were notably attractive featuring lip plates in their lower lips.

The situation was tense, communication impossible, interaction based on primitive exchange of signs or words. No smiles or nice expressions.

Suddenly an older woman became so angry that she threw a lip plate at our guide and started to scream. She was probably offended because I refused to take her photo, which meant she wouldn’t receive the payment her companions had earned.

I knew it was time to leave, before the situation would become too tense. Since we were only three foreigners and their daily income was not going to be as expected, they wanted us to pay extra money for services we didn’t use.

Men and women gathered around our vehicle and did not want to leave us without paying extra fee for visiting their village. Extremely aggressive negotiations took place. We were willing to pay 30 birrs, while they wanted at least 40 birrs. Although the difference was only one dollar, I chose not to agree out of principle. (Looking back at the situation, I can’t understand how foolishly I behaved!)

As the driver sped away, about 20 Mursi men started running after us; 10 of them armed. After approximately 100 meters, only three were still chasing. The last group followed us for a few more kilometers, protecting us from other Mursi along the road who demanded more money. In the end, they agreed to our terms and payment, though I still gave them an extra reward.

In conclusion, my encounter with the Mursi was an extraordinary experience that lasted only 20 minutes, yet I will remember it forever. None of the other tribes I had visited before were nearly as remarkable.

One of the largest tribes in the Omo Valley is the Hamer people. Hamers are known for their unique custom of jumping over a bull, which initiates a boy into manhood.

Women are dressed in cowhide, smeared on body and hair with a mixture of earth and artificial red dye. Their hair is curled into small tufts, which are sometimes covered with half a pumpkin, very often used for drinking and eating. The upper part of the body is often uncovered, especially in the hot summer weather.

Men are mostly naked, wearing only a short skirt and underwear, which they use as a money belt and a place to keep bullets. Wealthier usually own a Kalashnikov rifle or a similar firearm, though they are not allowed to carry it inside the village.

In the village of Dimeka, I visited a market where I had the chance to observe the Hamer people. Around 500 of them were gathered together, lying in the shade, talking, drinking, and doing almost nothing for most of the day. There was very little trading going on. The selection of goods was small, and most people were saving their money for the night’s party.

After spending most of the day resting, fatigue set in for everyone by late afternoon, as drinking and loud discussions began. The popular home-made alcoholic beverages are made from corn and honey.

A group of Hamers invited me to a local bar, where a popular beverage was presented in disposed engine oil containers.

The gathering spot was located in the restaurant of my hotel, and I enjoyed their company throughout the afternoon. Our basic communication was made possible by a 10-year-old boy who understood some English, enabling me to learn fascinating details about Hammers’ way of living.

Unfortunately, when they began breaking glasses, shouting, and fighting, I had to escort them out to the street. They soon disappeared quietly into the night, showing a calmer and more easygoing nature than the Mursi.

Hamer men are also known for beating their female family members when they disobey them. It’s common to see many scars on women’s bodies as a result. Unsurprisingly, Hamer women are often not very eager to get married. After the wedding, women are no longer allowed to dance; their main task is to stay at home, give birth to as many kids as possible and raise them.

A man cannot get married without first performing a special ceremony called jumping over the bull.

They line up about 20 to 30 bulls which the male must pass running without falling off. If he fells, all of his sisters are slapped, while he is sentenced to a single life for a while.

Unfortunately, during my visit, I wasn’t able to witness any of these celebrations. However, my drinking buddies invited me to return and join the ceremony, which usually takes place in October or November.

Following two weeks around Omo Valley, I was finally heading to Moyale, the last town before crossing the border into Kenya. The comfortable ride in a government pickup truck took us toward the first paved road we had seen since leaving the valley.

Our driver suddenly turned around and we were driving back to the last village. A couple of police officers jumped on the back of our vehicle and protected us with machine guns. We formed a small convoy with a police car and overland truck of mostly British tourists.

We made a detour and arrived to Moyale late in the evening, to find out that the reason for the panic was a drugged armed assailant, who had attacked the overland truck.

I checked into a hotel near the border and went to bed early after an exciting day. At around 8:30pm, I was woken up by a strange noise. A group of workers had started welding, cutting, and grinding metal bars, creating an unbearable noise at that late hour. What had they been doing all day?

I grew extremely upset. After hard negotiation with a help of local English teacher I managed to convince them to stop working until the next day.

As soon as I lay back down, a woman began crying, and three drunk men sat right in front of my hotel room. Yet another situation where I couldn’t escape the annoyance of people in Ethiopia.

Exhausted, I tried to ignore the noise and eventually fell asleep. Just another part of my Ethiopian experience.