A Day In Their Life…

A question I would often ask our guide in Namibia is what do the Himba people do during the day?  Typically I was referring to those we found in the villages, the mothers, grandmothers, elders and young children.  The Men and boys would be out each day with the cattle, looking for grazing land and …

The Himba Beat

We were lucky to spend several days with Himba tribal people in several villages.  Their lifestyle is dependent upon the season and we visited early in the dry season where the women and children spend their time tending to the goats in and around the village.  This worked very much to our advantage allowing us …

A Healthy Community?

I have mentioned many times the importance of the tribe to the people of the Omo Valley.  Each tribe has a critical ritual related to the path from adolescence to adulthood often involving some kind of proof of commitment to the tribe.  Some of these are very painful as in the wearing of lip plates …

Reflections on the Trip

Writing this blog has been a wonderful way for me to recount my experiences in Ethiopia and also to reflect on what I have learned and gained from the experience.  The biggest thing I have taken away is the difference in sense of community between the people of these tribes.  Without our virtual connected world, …

For the sake of tradition – Tuesday Sept 25th

Our final day of visiting tribes and we end with one of the most famous, the Mursi.  The Mursi women wear lip plates that give them a unique and unmistakable appearance.  The tradition is believed to have originated from a time when their women were taken because of the good looks and to deter this …