ETHIOPIA

My first journey to the Omo River Valley was like stepping into another world. Among the Dassanech and Arbore, life revolved around bartering, a testament to their resourcefulness and simplicity. The Mursi women, with their striking clay lip plates, removed their front teeth to carry on a centuries-old tradition of beauty and identity. The Hamer women, fierce and resilient, invited men to strike them with sticks as a symbol of their strength and loyalty.

 

High on a maze-like mountain, the Konso lived in intricate villages that felt like echoes of the Tower of Babel—layered, mysterious, and timeless. But even these deeply rooted traditions are changing. New roads and Chinese factories are weaving modernity into the fabric of ancient customs, transforming the Omo Valley before our eyes.