The Mursi people are among the least developed of the 56 indigenous tribes that inhabit the southern Omo Valley in Ethiopia. I visited this tribe during a day trip into the remote Mago National Park. Thick, black mud sucked at my shoes as I walked among chest-high straw huts scattered around a small clearing. There … Read more
I LOVE Ethiopian cuisine. I was first introduced to it 12 years ago, in Tanzania. I took one bite of Injera, the spongy, sourdough flatbread that Ethiopians use to scoop up everything on their plate, and was immediately hooked. Not only is Injera delicious, it’s made with fermented teff flour, which is milled from a … Read more
Until the early 1980’s most cultivated land around Arba Minch, Ethiopia, was devoted to growing maize, cotton and sweet potato. In 1984, experts in Ethiopia’s office of agriculture began discussions with area cooperatives, hoping to convince farmers to plant Cavendish bananas on a portion of their land. This had been attempted previously, with little success. … Read more
In Amora Gedel National Park, on the shores of Lake Awassa in Hawassa, Ethiopia, I happened upon this this traditional woven hut, constructed in the style of the Sidama people. These descendants of the ancient Kingdom of Kush live around the lakes in Ethiopia’s Great Rift Valley. Today the Sidama and their sub-tribes number about … Read more
Imagine being a slave in Ethiopia during the 12th and 13th century reign of King Lalibela. Now imagine being handed a chisel, hammer, and an axe, and told to carve a three-story high church out of solid rock. Inconceivable, certainly. But when you consider that the King actually completed construction of the 11 magnificent rock-hewn … Read more
