Short video and photos from the adventures with local Ethiopean tribes of Southern Omo Valley (Mursi, Benna, Konso, Hamar, Arbore and Dassenech). Each tribe, despite living in the same geographical proximity, cultivates different traditions, customs and body decoration. You can also easily recognize which tribe is more mature, and according to their body mass and figure, you can deduce whether they live in dry savannas or irrigated mountainous valleys.
When visiting villages of Ethiopia and hiking in lovely valleys full of green, brown and yellow fields, we were witnessing the ceremony of “bull jumping”. You can think of this as life “exam” which prepares a little boy into manhood. Though, this custom seems very cruel for females relatives (they dance and invite whipping from men who have recently been through this custom), it shows their deep support of the initiate, and their scars give them a right to demand his help in time of need. To pass the exam, the boy needs to run back and forth twice across the backs of a row of bulls or castrated steers. If he fails, he is ridiculed by the others and must repeat it again at a later time.
As an imaginary icing on the cake of this unforgettable trip, we were sailing over Lake Chamo to see hiding hippos, and around the boat swimming crocodiles in Nech-Sar National Park.
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