Sunday, 3 January 2016
Leaving Jinka Heading for Addis
We left Jinka campsite around 09h00. Our plan was to travel approximately 250 km to Arab Minch. This we did and arrived at 14h30. We decided to stay in Arab Minch and checked into Mora Heights Hotel. The hotel is about 250 metres above the floor of the Rift Valley with a beautiful view of Lake Chamo and Lake Abaya.
We left behind lush green vegetation with nice mountains and entered a dry dusty countryside about 300 km before reaching Addis. We have never seen so many hard working donkeys as we did today.
At USD 50 we had a nice room and our first real bathroom in over a week.
We enjoyed the view, had a beer and did some washing. Supper was again traditional Ethiopian food consisting of injera with lamb and vegetables.
The bed was lousy the fan was noisy and sleep disrupted so we left at 05h30 heading for Addis 540 km away. The journey took just over 10 hours. We planned to enter Addis on a Sunday hoping for less traffic than on a weekday. Mission accomplished. Here we are at the Churchill Hotel on the 9th floor. The room is large and has nice views. The Mog is parked right outside the Hotel just as I had imagined it would be.
We are happy to have our cell phones working again. Perhaps the Omo Valley was too rural for our phones.
Sent from my Samsung device
GPS Update - January 04, 2016 at 02:13AM
Lat+09.025933 Lon+038.751933 Alt +8025 ft (33s ago) 03-Jan-2016 13:13:04 UTC http://map.iridium.com/m?lat=09.025933&lon=038.751933
Saturday, 2 January 2016
GPS Update - January 03, 2016 at 01:56AM
Lat+05.998400 Lon+037.547250 Alt +4514 ft (0s ago) 02-Jan-2016 12:56:34 UTC http://map.iridium.com/m?lat=05.998400&lon=037.547250
Friday, 1 January 2016
Happy New year to all. Update on South Omo Valley
You will have noticed that emails and and pictures have finally started flowing again. Lots of hassle and great relief.
On Tuesday morning as we were about to leave Konso we met James and Emily who are cycling from London to Cape Town. They have a blog which you can find ....... London2capetown.
Our drive to Turmi was about 30 km on tar and then the 125 km of dirt road started. The road was very corrugated and areas potholed. The scenery was great as we were driving along the Rift Valley, very flat and mountains on our west side. We finished off with some difficult driving over washed out sections of road, through dry river beds and more. Spare a thought for James and Emily who would tackle this on their bikes.
We arrived at Turmi and camped at the Hamer Community Camp Site (Mango Camp).
The following day we attended a Bull Jumping Ceremony. The ceremony started with dancing by Harmer women. To our shock some of these women were whipped on their backs by young men with sticks. Blood flowed. This ritual inflicts them with permanent scars that increase their value prior to marriage and earns them respect.
The young man who is to earn his right of passage to manhood is prepared, 8 cows are lined up and he then has to jump naked onto the cows and run across 6 times.
This is followed by celebration over two days.
Our next visit was to Jinka from where we visited the Mursi tribe in the Mago National Park. They are famous for their lip plates. The bigger the lip plate the greater is the value of the woman. A very disturbing sight.
Tomorrow we are heading out of the Omo Valley towards Addis overnighting in Arba Minch. Thank heavens no more tribes.
We have enjoyed traditional Ethiopian food. It is extremely rural here and we are always very amazed to find a restaurant with such good food and well supported by tourists.
Sent from my iPad
On Tuesday morning as we were about to leave Konso we met James and Emily who are cycling from London to Cape Town. They have a blog which you can find ....... London2capetown.
Our drive to Turmi was about 30 km on tar and then the 125 km of dirt road started. The road was very corrugated and areas potholed. The scenery was great as we were driving along the Rift Valley, very flat and mountains on our west side. We finished off with some difficult driving over washed out sections of road, through dry river beds and more. Spare a thought for James and Emily who would tackle this on their bikes.
We arrived at Turmi and camped at the Hamer Community Camp Site (Mango Camp).
The following day we attended a Bull Jumping Ceremony. The ceremony started with dancing by Harmer women. To our shock some of these women were whipped on their backs by young men with sticks. Blood flowed. This ritual inflicts them with permanent scars that increase their value prior to marriage and earns them respect.
The young man who is to earn his right of passage to manhood is prepared, 8 cows are lined up and he then has to jump naked onto the cows and run across 6 times.
This is followed by celebration over two days.
Our next visit was to Jinka from where we visited the Mursi tribe in the Mago National Park. They are famous for their lip plates. The bigger the lip plate the greater is the value of the woman. A very disturbing sight.
Tomorrow we are heading out of the Omo Valley towards Addis overnighting in Arba Minch. Thank heavens no more tribes.
We have enjoyed traditional Ethiopian food. It is extremely rural here and we are always very amazed to find a restaurant with such good food and well supported by tourists.
Sent from my iPad
28 December 2015 Ethiopia at last
Border formalities were very easy but slow. No money had to be paid for any road or carbon taxes, what a surprise. The drive to Yabello was 200 km mainly on good tar. From Yabello to Karat Konso a distance of 105 km was on corrugated dirt and we were at it for 4 and a half hours. Difficult drive. The scenery was beautiful, very green and mountainous.
Tonight we are sleeping on Mog in a Hotel car park. We rented the use of a bathroom and toilet for USD 10 per person. Had a very nice buffet dinner in the restaurant. Tomorrow we head for Turmin in the South Omo Valley. This is a rural area largely untouched by modern times.
Sent from my iPad
Tonight we are sleeping on Mog in a Hotel car park. We rented the use of a bathroom and toilet for USD 10 per person. Had a very nice buffet dinner in the restaurant. Tomorrow we head for Turmin in the South Omo Valley. This is a rural area largely untouched by modern times.
Sent from my iPad
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