A surprise today! The 100km/62mi drive from Konso to Yabelo only took 2-1/2 hours because the road had been fixed. This was as far south as this trip to Ethiopia would take us and not far from the border of Kenya. Scenes along the road today were poisonous devil apple bushes that neither animals nor people eat; herds of camels…View image…; people walking along the roads with sticks protruding from their mouths. Toothbrushes. A lot easier to cut a twig from a tree and start brushing away. Perhaps that’s why the Ethiopians had such beautiful, white teeth.

The Borena are semi-nomads who live on lands from Northern Kenya into the dry plains around Yabelo. Their existance revolves around their cattle and trying to keep these herds alive. Without cattle, they have nothing. Their remedy is a series of wells. Each Borena family and clan has its own well.

on the path out of the Singing wells of Borena, Ethiopia

inside the Borena well, Ethiopia
The dry season in this region is January through March when the cattle come to drink. Otherwise, just a performance is put on for tourists with a few people using the buckets to water the cattle. I suggested to Henock that perhaps a system to raise and lower buckets could be built but he didn’t think it would be as efficient.

The Borena dig a series of water troughs close to each well’s mouth. Another long channel drops down around 30′ below the ground. This enables the cattle to approach and return from the wells. It’s wide enough for two single columns. When it’s time to water them, the men form a human ladder and pass buckets from the bottom of the well to the top, tossing the water into the troughs. … View image… The “singing” part comes in when the men sing to pass the time and reassure the cattle.

the Borena passing filled buckets up the human chain, Ethiopia 

Borena men emptying water into the trough, Ethiopia 

cattle finally drinking water from the trough at Borena Singing Wells, Ethiopia
Unbelievably hot and dusty with each herd waiting patiently for their turn down the incline to drink and then return home. Different groups of men alternate each day. First filling and bringing buckets of water up from the lowest level of the well to the halfway point. From there, they form a human chain on a ladder (with very skinny stick rungs) to fill up the main trough for the animals to drink out of. They can water more than 100 herds in one morning and then knock off for the day. Back-breaking, difficult work would be a gross understatement. When the scrawny cattle had finished drinking, their ribs were no longer showing. Instead, nice full bellies.

camels and cattle waiting their turn at Borena Singing Wells, Ethiopia 

leading a sated herd out of the well, Ethiopia 

Borena woman doing her washing in what little water there was, Ethiopia
Absolutely covered with sand and dust, we stopped to tailgate and eat before heading to El Sod in a Park. ex-Marine spotted a big bird strutting along that turned on to be a Secretary bird, very rare. Way to go, Steve! There were also a few Gurano gazelles (long necked) standing in the shade.

Secretary bird in Ethiopia 

gazelles in Ethiopia
From there, the drive to the salt village of El Sod. The village of El Sod lies beside one of Ethiopia’s biggest salt deposits. This crater is a marshy lake filled with muddy, black salt. Donkeys are used to carry the mud up the sides of the crater. A very big “miss” in our opinion. No one was working, there were no donkeys, and all you could see was a dark circle of black at the bottom of the crater. You can walk down the trail to the bottom if you so choose but why choose?…View image…

looking down on El Sod salt crater, Ethiopia 

bigger view of El Sod salt crater, Ethiopia
Back to Yabelo and the very nice (no joke) Yabelo Motel…View image… with HOT WATER AND ELECTRICITY! Tomorrow, Addis…