Lower Omo Valley: Key Afar thursday market and other Ethiopia Off The Beaten Path Tips

The thursday market of Key Afar, about 100 KM from the tarred road at Konso, is one of the main markets in the lower Omo Valley.

At the market we saw mainly Banna people from the region around Key Afar, but also people from other tribes.

It was amazing what I saw, self confident and beautiful people with special hairstyles and wonderful outfits of goatskin decorated with beads and kaurishells. They use calebashes as watercontainers.

For more information and pictures have a look at my Jinka page.

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From Jinka there is a track to the Mago National Park. To reach the park you need your own (rented) 4WD. We had to cross two rather deep rivers.

The sky was cloudy. We stopped at this viewpoint and the drivers asked us, if we want to move on. When it should start to rain we had to return immediately. We took the risk and paid the 70 birr (pro person)entrance fee and the 100 birr pro car for the park.

Continuing our way, we understood why these tracks would be inaccessible for cars. It was bumpy, climbing and going down.

Because of poaching there is not much wildlife in the park. All we saw , were baboons, colobus monkeys and dikdiks.

Luckily there was no rain, so after three hours we reached our destination, the Mursi Territory. En route we saw the first naked and bodypainted boys, who tried to jump at our 4WDs.

For more pictures and information have a look at my Jinka page.

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After a ride of three hours from Jinka at a bumpy track in our 4WD we reached a Mursi village in the Mago National Park.

The Mursi people is one of the tribes in the Omo Region, who have still their old traditions. The most striking are the lipplates, worn by women, after piercing their underlip. The larger the plate, the higher the social status of the women.

When there are no men or visitors around, they don't wear the plate and their lip just dangles from their mouth.

For more information and pictures have a look at my Jinka page.

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The market of Dimeka, Key Afar and Turmi are the most colourful ones in the Omo Region. So, on our way from Jinka and Key Afar to Turmi we stopped at the saturdaymarket of Dimeka.

The market of Dimeka is very lively. The Hamar people are friendly and curious. The women liked to look at us and to touch our hair. Their hair is styled and coloured with ochre. After mixing ochre, water and binding resin, they rub this mixture in their hair to create copper coloured tresses.

Around their necks the women wear necklaces of beads and iron torques and around their arms they wear iron coils. Their goatskin clothes are decorated with kauri-shells.

For more pictures and information have a look at my Turmi page.

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We stayed a few days in Turmi in the far Southwest of Ethiopia. Turmi is a sandy village with conical thatched huts. We followed the walking men and women to reach the monday market, where we had to buy some vegetables and potatos.

The Hamer women looked beautiful in their decorated goatskin skirt, with kaurishell necklaces, chestplates, beads and all other kind of home-made jewelry. Their hair was dyed with ochre clay and animal fat.

Many men had also dyed coiffures and walked with their handmade headrests. The little children liked to walk with us, holding hands.

For more pictures and information have a look at my Turmi page.

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In Turmi we visited the primary school. The staff of the school was very friendly and hospitable to show us their school. They are very inventive to make their own education materials.

So we saw fantastic drawings at the walls of their schoolbuilding, at paper and cloth. They showed us a room with all the self-made materials and drawings. It looked wonderful, like a museum. I hope, they will not throw away these original materials, when they have raised enough funds to replace them by printed items and other professional materials.

For more information and pictures have a look at my Turmi page.

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