Tribal Tour

I went on a tribal tour to the Omo Valley. It was incredible! We saw many tribes and how they interact with nature and each other. We saw traditions and the tools they use instead of the modern conveniences we have. I saw where they live and how they live.

The Hamer tribe: the Hamers are among the most well known tribes in the Omo. We'd hope to visit during one of their most famous ceremonies, called the jumping of the bulls, but we missed it because the times are unpredictable.  We saw their circular houses made of straw, wood and mud. They participate in ceremonial night dancing called evangadi.

Hamar Tribe

The Karo or Kara Tribe: The Karo or Kara Tribe is closely related to the Kwegu and very small having between only 1,000 and 3,000 people, about the size of Memorial High School! They practice flood retreat cultivation which is kind of like rice farming fields near Houston and cranberry bogs. They grow maize, sorghum and beans. They only keep small cattle because of the tse tse flies which feed off the blood of vertebrates. Yuck! They paint their faces  and bodies with a mixture of white chalk colored with yellow rock and iron ore. Other tribes in the Omo Valley paint their bodies, too.

The Mursi Tribe: They are one of the most well known tribes in the Omo Valley and live in the Mago National Park along the Omo river.  The women wear colorful lip plates which are really cool. However, I was horrified to learn that they cut their lips in order to fit them in.  They are also really heavy and uncomfortable so they don't wear them all the time. My mom says this isn't really different from ear piercing, but it sounds a lot worse to me. They raise cattle and crops along the Omo river and move twice a year because of the climate. If you like pictures, bring money!  The people were happy for me to take a photo of them but they expected payment each time.

Ethnological Museum

After talking to the people at the hotel about places to visit they highly recommended the Ethnological Museum. So I tried it out and it turned out to be a blast! The museum was very small but they managed to put a lot of information in to it.

The best part was seeing the tribal people of Ethiopia. They organized it by life events. They even had Lucy! The oldest fossil of of a "human" ever found. It had a great introduction of the Omo valley, it was perfect considering my next stop. The staff there were very helpful too, they knew a ton about every artifact there was. It made the experience much more enjoyable.

Addis Ababa: First Impressions

Hey, I just got to my hotel in Addis Ababa. Let me back up though. I landed on time in Addis Ababa, and the stop in Sudan was about five minutes shorter than planned. I grabbed my carry-on, then rushed over to customs, again it didn't take too long because I was in first class. 

After leaving customs I went to the rental car center and picked up my adorable blue mini classic (kind of like an old fashion mini cooper). I then, typed in the address of my hotel and off I went. I am staying at the Radisson Blu Hotel penthouse suite. The hotel is so fancy and nice. I love the pool it is HUGE!!!!!

From what I've have seen of it. The city is actually pretty nice. It has its good parts and its bad parts just like any city, but still pretty nice. They have a ton of modern and chic buildings. The city also has some of those older parts of it with smaller houses and buildings.

Then the view off my balcony to the city is amazing! You can see everything. Its like I'm the queen of the world commanding over my subjects down below. I can see why they the "political capitol of Africa" I can see the Ethiopian Government buildings, and the historical buildings.

Just Landed in Frankfurt

Hey guys! I just landed in Germany. The airport is amazing! It is really big, clean, and nice. It had a lot of restaurants and stores. it took me 15 minutes just to find my terminal! I'm getting ahead of myself thought, this is what happen on the flight.


Then after I boarded my plane I ordered a chicken and steak dinner. I loved the chicken and steak, but I loved the dessert more. It was creme brulee with ice cream and fresh fruit! After dessert I watched James Bond Goldfinger (my favorite Bond) and the, I took a nap/went to bed.

Frankfurt Airport

I woke up at 7:30 wanting something to drink. I got milk with some fruit. Then watched the James Bond Skyfall (I love Bond).  I waited till' the plane landed the collected my carry-on, then went to customs. It didn't take a long time to clear customs because I was at the front of the plane so I got to the front of the line.
After clearing customs I went to find my terminal. I found my terminal and gift shop too. I wasted about 45 minutes in the gift shop. The I got some lunch at COA or the Cuisine of Asia because I wouldn't be eating until about four-thirty. After that I waited until it was time to board my plane. I boarded my plane to Addis Ababa to Addis Ababa at about 10:30. Then had to wait 45 minutes until my plane took off for Addis Ababa.

Flight

Hi, its Susan! I'm at the airport right now waiting on my flight to depart. I'm flying Lufthansa flight number UA8867. I'm departing to Frankfurt, Germany From Houston George Bush Inter-Continental. I should depart at 4:10pm on May 5, 2013 and arrive in Frankfurt at nine am the next day.

 After that I will switch planes onto Lufthansa flight UA9112 to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. I will have a layover time of two hours and fifteen minutes. My plane should depart at 11:15 am and land at 8:45 pm on May 6th in Addis Ababa. I have to go now first class is boarding.