A trip to Ethiopia's south reveals a remote and mysterious world

By Bernd Kubisch Apr 6, 2010, 13:03 GMT

Addis Ababa - Travellers to Ethiopia are usually familiar with the famed granite obelisks of Axum and the extraordinary rock-hewn churches of Lalibela yet the remote south of the country is just as fascinating albeit in another way.

Instead of ancient monuments, visitors to this region, which has been largely untouched by the modern world, are treated to the sight of spectacularly sagging lips the size of a saucers and bread made from false bananas.

The huge expanse of savannah and mountains south of the capital Addis Ababa is not without its attractions either. There are national parks, a rich selection of wildlife and above all, unusual people. The Omo Valley is home to numerous indigenous tribes such as the Konso, Banna, Hamer und Mursi whose members have managed to preserve an often precarious way of living down the centuries.

They are generally unperturbed by tourists although in this instance a camel driver is threatening a visitor with a stick. The outsider from overseas made the mistake of taking a photograph of the man without asking for his permission beforehand.

'The camels will stop giving milk or if they do so it will be sour,' said our guide Alemayew Wrku, explaining the reason for the irate tribesman's behaviour. 'The next time around we'll stop and have a little chat. A little bit of baksheesh (a present on the side) often works wonders. That way the milk stays fine and you get more photos.'

Further to the south the countryside consists mainly of lush green fields and at Wenchi volcanic lake nearly three hours by car from Addis Ababa, beans, maize and bananas grow freely. Only a few are of the edible, sweet kind and most are so-called fake bananas with fringed leaves.

Ethiopia's most important root crop, the ensete, is so named because of its strong resemblance to the domesticated banana plant.

'The fake bananas are our daily bread,' said a farmer's wife as she peels the soft skin. The roots are soft like cake. Once boiled they taste both sweet and sour and are highly nutritious.

Fortunately, many of the farmers have a secondary source of income, said Ato Kebede as he watches the women at work. Together with the German federal aid organisation for technical cooperation (GTZ) he has been involved in setting up a sustainable tourism project.

More than 150 locals earn money on the side working as guides or drivers or by hiring out horses. For those who come there is a varied programme, which offers the chance to join in everyday village life, ride, take boat trips, go hiking or birdwatching. Tourists can stay in lodges or with families in order to soak up a genuine African feeling.

Driving a car in Ethiopia can be exasperating. The roads are in a poor state of repair and there are hardly any direction signs. Visitors who want to play it safe are well-advised to hire a car with a suitably knowledgeable driver in Addis Ababa. Experienced globetrotters have been known to rough it on their own, using either a pickup or a local overland bus to reach Turmi, the chief settlement of the Hamer tribe.

Mondays and Thursdays are market days here. The women wear metal bracelets on their arms, bamboo on their backs and either furs, chains or nothing at all to cover the breasts. The men can be seen using long sticks to drive goats and emaciated cattle. When the sun rises they all head for the dusty marketplace. A few tourists are already abroad, photographing everything they see with enthusiasm. The rules here are straightforward - shots taken from a distance are free of charge. For close-ups of people a tip is obligatory

An hour further on by car is the town of Jinka where the women of the Mursi tribe are getting ready to show off their unusual body ornamentation to visitors. Their lower lips have been cut and extended to allow them to wear large circular plates made of clay and known as 'dhebi a tugoin.' They are a symbol of both social and biological adulthood.

It is up to each girl to decide how far to stretch the lip which is achieved by putting in progressively larger plates over several months. The plates are removed when they eat. The fee for photographing one of these women is the equivalent of about euro or a dollar. The Mursi use the income to make ends meet when harvests fail - and that is common occurrence in Ethiopia.