The Banna Tribe

Today, we’re heading down to the Omo Valley, where the tribes live. The roads were decent for the first few kilometers. After that, we had to drive in the ditch or next to the road since it was under construction. Once the road is finished, getting down to the tribes will be so much easier and more comfortable. Right now, the journey is a crazy bumpy and dusty ride. Ethiopia's president is from Arba Minch, so he’s doing a lot to improve conditions in the south. That’s why the road improvement work is a top priority. Our first stop was in Key Afar, where the Banna tribe was having their market day. It was such a colorful market! Unmarried Banna girls wear skirts made of goat skin with long decorated tails meant to attract men. They give a signal to a guy if they like him. If a man likes a girl, he waits until it gets dark. Then he swoops in and shoves food into her mouth. After that, she has to marry him. Strange, right? The people here have very dark skin, are tall and wear clothes or skins adorned with colorful beads. They have beautiful braided hairstyles. Everyone walks around with a little wooden thing in their hands. It serves two purposes: they can sit on it and use it as a pillow so they don’t mess up their fancy hairstyles. By the time we arrived at our hotel, we were incredibly dusty. Honestly, we’re dusty all the time! :o) The hotel had no electricity and no water. It’s still a while until the rainy season starts, so water is scarce. We had to fetch water from the pump in a bucket whenever we needed to flush the toilet or take a shower. You have to learn the trick of how to take a shower with a bucket, but it’s not too hard once you get the hang of it. We’re eating lots of spaghetti with tomato sauce because we’re worried about getting an upset stomach. We think spaghetti might be a safer option. But who knows down here…