Unexpected trip! Unforgettable journey! One of a kind!

Whenever I close my eyes and transcend myself back to where I was a month ago, it gives me that sense of quiver as I stitch the images back in my memory.

Last year I imagined silky sand, blue skies, and beautiful waves. Surfing and diving around my beautiful island Philippines. A bonfire at night and a good conversation with my friend Mai are all I could ever imagine! These simple little things are so perfect for me. We planned it since last year and all of a sudden things change! I ended up in the middle of a jungle, massive heat, humid temperature, bumpy roads, hiking for kilometers with my heavy camera bag and camping with people I just met on a trip! We were moving for hours after hours from one tribe to another. And if we get lucky, then we got 1% wifi connection whenever we passed by the town for few minutes. It was not a relaxation kind of vacation. It was a great adventure and exploration!

 

OMO VALLEY – is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The valley is mostly a dry savanna that expanse through the Omo River – one of the tribes most essential resources. The Lower Omo Valley is one of the fascinating regions in Ethiopia because of its cultural diversity, and it consists of several tribes which are considered to be the last real tribes of Africa. The tribes have lived there for centuries, and they coexist with varying degrees of peace. We visited, Ari villages around Jinka, the Konso Tribe, Hamar Tribe, Karo, Daasanech, Surma Tribe, Nyangatom and the last one was Mursi Tribe where I celebrated a special day in my life.

 

It was a surreal experience! A great privilege to embrace their culture as they welcomed us openly with their hearts.

 

 

 

SCARIFICATION – is not your typical kind of tattoo! Body scarification can be the world’s most painful kind of tattoo. An extreme kind of body art.  Its design is cut into the dermis, far above muscle matter and fatty tissues. It is a sign of strength and beauty of a woman.

A regular day at Turmi Market. It was scorching. The heat drained my energy, and I don’t feel like shooting. I was roaming around more and trying to absorb the scenes, and it was too crowded! I tried to be far away from my subjects as I want to capture candid shots, so I used my telephoto lens all the time.

 

Memories one can never trade of…  will tell you more about it when I have more time to go through all my shots. – Love, Jadee 🙂

Amongst all my trips, Ethiopia is the number one! It is very unique from the others.

12 Questions?

1. Did you stay in the hotel? NO, we were camping from one tribe to another.
2. Are there any proper toilets? NO, the highway and the bushes are our 5star toilets:) There are some toilets whenever we pass by the town.
3. How about a shower? There were three days that we didn’t get a shower:)
4. Are there water for drinking? We bought enough mineral water to keep us alive.
5. What about  the RISK? There is always a risk  but that’s the glory of it! YOLO!
6. How about the food? We had our personal Ethiopian Chef.
7. Did you pay for the subjects? Yes, you have to. It is your way of thanking them as well. Break the Birr into small bills, like 5, 10, 20s. Bring enough Birr, e.g. 3000 – 4000 AED or more. Bring US Dollars and exchange it at Addis Abba airport.
8. Are there any small hotels nearby? There are, but it might take some time for you to explore the tribes. It’s going to be comfortable, somewhat dull and costly.
9. Was it risky to camp at each tribe? It depends, but I’m still alive 🙂
10. Do we need vaccination? Yes, please do it months before as it is a series of shots.
11. What can you suggest? You need to be extra adventurous to enjoy it!:)
12. How was the total experience? FANTASTIC!!!

 

 

How was the taste of my African birthday cake?!? AWESOME!!!! We shared it together!!! Unforgettable evening as I celebrated it with the Mursi Tribe. Speechless on everyone’s kindness!

Thank you Trekkup Dubai! Thank you Piotr, Gino, the Drivers and our Chef who took care of us. To my travel buddies who are so cool and adventurous, Merci!!!

AFRICA – አመሰግናለሁ/āmeseginalehu!!!!!

 

Here’s a simple video that I made from this trip 🙂 a beautiful memory of my crazy adventure!