The Lower Omo Valley is home to some of Africa’s most colorful ethnic groups and originally was the focus of our trip to Ethiopia until we were convinced to add the North (glad we did). Ancient customs and traditions have remained largely intact here with Animism still the religion, and wars occasionally breaking out between the neighboring tribes.

Some of the many tribes we were going to visit in the South could possibly all be at the once-a-week Key Afar Market. The Derase, Tsemay, Ari and Banna people. But even before we reached Key Afar on the way to Jinka, we drove and stopped to see a Derase village where the people were heading to the fields. The Derase grow maize, sorghum and carry a bottle with these grains mixed with water to the fields for lunch. …View image… They pick greens from a tree that resembles spinach to make a sauce and also use their spears as tools …View image…and the women have a tattoo down the middle of the forehead.

Derase woman on her way to the fields, Ethiopia

tattoo down the center of Derase forehead and distinctive hairstyle, Ethiopia 

typical Derase village in Ethiopia 

Over a dry riverbed that was the dividing line between Derase and Konso territory. The Konso live in communities similar to a commune and don’t live or farm individually. They farm by terracing and their teraces are a UNESCO site. The Konso don’t use donkeys and instead carry everything on their backs and heads. It was easy for me to recognize the women of the Konso tribe because their traditional skirts had a flounce…View image…. Otherwise, I was always hopelessly confused. We were going to visit a Konso village on the way back instead of today.

Konso women in Ethiopia wearing traditional flounce skirt 

Konso terraces, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Ethiopia 

Konso herding animals in Ethiopia
This was the first time that we noticed men wearing shorts instead of long pants. It was certainly hot enough. Ethiopia is in the process of building a new road between Arba Minch to Jinka and it wasn’t bad at all with most of the work finished.

Road sights with “stuff” for sale by many children were: round stones that were actually incense;…View image… little toys and dolls, masks. …View image… And then there were the naked children on stilts, other children doing a little dance, all asking for money. If they weren’t asking for “mawnee”, it was pens or empty plastic water bottles.

kids selling masks along an Ethiopian road 

doing a little dance for money in Ethiopia 

Across another dry river bed into Tsemey territory with long horn steers, a half dressed Tsemey man wearing brilliant earrings, beaded armbands and really making a fashion statement. It wasn’t much longer before we came to the Thursday, Key Afar village market. … View image… Key Afar is situated on a lush plateau along the Konso-Jinka Road but absolutely nothing we had read prepared us for the scenes before us….

Tsemey cattle block at the border into Tsemey territory, Ethiopia 

Tsemey cattle herder, Ethiopia 

looked like Texas long horns to us, Ethiopia
We were definitely not in Kansas anymore…