Considering Ethiopia

Only 15 days in Ethiopia and I have taken more pictures than in our prior four countries combined. I find it difficult to convey the nature of our experience, as this magnificent country assaults the senses from all angles. The photographs below bring back smells and tastes, feelings and frustrations, ponderings and judgements for me. I will try my best to describe the goings-on in each photo-set with a few words, and to caption others that warrant explanation. (click on individual pics for a larger view)

We flew overnight from Israel into the capital city of Addis Ababa, bursting with over three million people; proud, patient, and hardworking. Addis, at an elevation of 8,000 ft., is tucked into a mountain valley with a mix of single story houses spread out along large avenues and narrow unpaved roads. The main streets are paved and potholed but quite clean as locals with homemade brooms sweep the curbs daily. The storefronts are bustling with people, and there are long lines for local busses and taxis as there is an above ground train system under construction in the city center.

In the pictures below you will see highlights from our tour around Addis including the fossilized remains of “Lucy” in the National Museum of Ethiopia, street views from Mount Entoto, and pictures from inside the Holy Trinity Cathedral; the resting place of Emperor Haile Selassie and his wife, Menen Asfaw. I did not know this prior to arriving in Ethiopia, but the emperor, born Tafari, had the title of Ras, an Ethiopian aristocratic title, before becoming emperor. That name, and man, Ras Tafari, is the inspiration behind the Jamaican, and worldwide, Ras Tafarian movement and helped spark Marcus Garvey’s “Back to Africa” movement. I need to do a lot more reading on this subject, and may have missed parts of this information in my freshman cultural studies class at Berkeley High School.

Our next stop was the Dorze Lodge for an overnight stay and a tour of life in the village. We visited a traditional thatch home, complete with a separate room for livestock, and sampled the fermented false-banana bread eaten locally. We also visited a Chencha marketplace where I lost a ping pong game where you have to knock off the other person’s bottlecap from the center of the table…a serious blow to my ping pong self esteem. And we visited a “Tej” bar where we sampled the sweet golden wine.

The town of Arba Minch overlooks Lake Chamo, home to hippopotamus, crocodile, fish eagle, and many more. We took a boat to see these creatures in their natural habitat and were greeted with a 4 meter croc and a baby hippo not more than a few meters from our boat. Our travels also took us through a Konso village known for terraced farming, and cultural tradition dating back at least 21 generations. The village has narrow streets with stone walls, a truth stone, and lodge poles strung together to mark the passing of time and passing on of responsibility from one chief to the next.

There are over 80 distinctive ethnic groups in Ethiopia sharing 4 major language families. Tribes who speak languages classified in the Omotic and Cushitic family reside in the Omo Valley in the southern part of the country. We visited a few different groups and found peoples who are living lives dramatically different from our own. Below are pictures of the Dassanech Tribe, a nomadic group that range between Kenya, Ethiopia, and South Sudan.

On the northern side of the Omo river we visited for a few days with the Hamar Tribe including the market and Bull Jumping Ceremony. There was variation in the amount of participation in traditional practices among the Hamar, but a majority still live life as there ancestors did. To come of age, the man must leap across a line of cows three times. If he falls it is a shame, but he can try again in a year. Only when he has been through this initiation rite can he marry. On the afternoon of the leap, the man’s female relatives demand to be whipped as part of the ceremony. The whipping appears to be consensual; the girls gather round and beg to be whipped on their backs. They don’t show the pain they must feel and they say they’re proud of the scars. They would look down on a woman who refuses to join in. These practices I found incredibly disturbing and difficult to watch. The government of Ethiopia has mandated that Hamar men use a different twig for each whipping to stop the spread of blood borne disease and have made many of the practices of the Hamar people, including female circumcision, illegal. However enforcement is difficult and we were told by our guides that many of these practices still take place.

This isn’t even a full week yet…seriously. I’ve left many photos, and many stories out of this abbreviated blog. This is truly just a sliver of our trip through Ethiopia. And so we move on with a short flight from Addis to the ancient city, and former capital of Ethiopia, Gondar. Until recent decades this northern region of Ethiopia, extending north to Aksum was home to many Ethiopian Jews. We visited 17th century castles and the Fasilides’ Baths which are filled each year for the festival of Timkat.

From Gondar we launched on a two night, three day, backpacking trip through the 4,000 meter high Simien Mountains National Park. Backpacking in this part of Ethiopia is a little different than what we are used to in the states. This means that we had a guide, a cook, an assistant cook, and an armed guard with us. This also meant that our packs were carried separately from camp to camp on a donkey. These measures of protection not only protect tourists, but also many endemic species including the Gelada, or bleeding heart, baboon, and the Walia Ibex. We saw many baboons, but no Ibex.

Barraged with information for just over two weeks left me feeling humbled and grateful. As much for the warmth and kindness with which we were received as for the richness of opportunity available to Casey and me in the cultural spaces where we were raised. Next stop, Tanzania to see some big game.