Hammer tribe child, Turmi, Ethiopia, 10 Feb 2014
Hammer tribe girl, Turmi, Ethiopia, 10 Feb 2014
Hammer village panorama, Turmi, Ethiopia, 10 Feb 2014
Hammer village girl, Turmi, Ethiopia, 10 Feb 2014
Hammer bracelets, Weekly market, Turmi, Ethiopia, 10 Feb 2014
Hammer girls at Weekly market, Turmi, Ethiopia, 10 Feb 2014
Weekly market #1, Turmi, Ethiopia, 10 Feb 2014
Desert rose, Murelle, Ethiopia, 10 Feb 2014
The morning took us on an excursion to Murulle (80 km on a dirt road) to visit the Karo people who are considered the masters of body painting. On route we stopped to photograph a large termite nest and met up with a man and young girl on their way to the market. The young girl was apparently betrothed to the man but was not yet old enough to be married. She was pre-puberty and he was probably about forty. We thought he was her father or even her grandfather until informed of the true situation. We spotted several animals on route, including, camels, ‘dik dik’ (small antelope), meer cats, squirrels and birds. Amongst the normal desert flora, were very colourful pink ‘desert roses’ which looked like a variation of a pink frangipani.
The extraordinary thing is that in this desert landscape one sees hundreds of herds of cattle and goats subsisting on little visible feed. The cattle forage on thorn bushes and the availability of water seems next to nothing. The herds are usually attended by children who don’t have schools to attend as they’re too far from civilization. Even when close to towns it is difficult to encourage school attendance as there is a need for child labour to look after the wandering herds.
The people of the Karo village tribe decorate their bodies with chalk and paint, often imitating the spotted plumage of a guinea fowl. We were all armed with a wad of small notes (1 and 5 birr notes, the equivalent of 5 cents and 25 cents) to pay for photos. They have become very adept at listening for camera clicks and heated arguments ensued if they thought they had been tricked. Video filming for as long as you liked was often not worried about by the people and no charge was sought. Although the village people were taking advantage of us, we realised that the people we met on the road were almost equally adorned with beads, feathers, corn cobs, shells, bits of metal and flowers – it is just their natural attire.
On returning to Turmi, we visited the local weekly market. The people were mainly the Hammer tribe who enjoy body decoration and wear quantities of colourful beads and make their hair into ringlets caked with clay and butter. Again we were accosted to take photos for a price. It is quite sad that they now see tourists as fair game. The usual trick is for an 18 year old male to start talking to us about his education. Once he has us engaged, he then asks us to go to the book-shop and buy books such as a dictionary for him. If you oblige, once your back is turned the books are promptly returned to the shelf for the next unwary customer!
The Hammer people’s market involves locals selling grain (sorghum and corn) and other produce such as coffee and tobacco. In the intense heat of the day many of the women’s decorations of clay and buttered hair ringlets were melting and dripping down their faces.
The market seemed to be dominated by women and at the end of the day the loads of produce are carried by the women whilst the men walk with their wooden head-rest pillows and sticks. Women are the real workers in this tribal group!
In the later afternoon we visited a Hammer Village and spent an hour or so wandering in amongst the village huts and being confronted by children (mainly) wishing to have their photos taken for a fee (usually 2 or 3 birr).
We were given the opportunity of entering a village home which was a mud-walled circular building of about 10m diameter with a thatched roof incorporating a ‘second floor’ if the family had too many children to accommodate on the base level. The ground level area serves as the kitchen and bedroom with the only comforts for sleeping being cattle skins on the dirt floor. The wife was busy grinding coffee husks to use for a drink. She had 5 children which is below the average of 7 per family. Rich men in the village are able to afford two wives and wealth is gauged by the number of cattle and goats you possess. We met two women married to the same man and they seemed good friends although they wear different neck ornaments to distinguish between number 1 wife and number 2. The entry to the circular home was through a narrow ‘window’ making access difficult. This was described as a strategy to make access to the home by potential invaders difficult and give time for the occupants to kill the perpetrator.
The local girls are topless and are often tall and stunning in their intricately decorated costumes.
Many photos were taken and the continuous haggling about prices was a little tiresome.
On return to our ‘hotel’ we showered and prepared for dinner and celebrations for Corinne’s birthday. Much gin was consumed and a birthday cake made from two pieces of bread with four candles was presented and accompanied by “Happy Birthday” and much laughter and merriment.
A most exciting and interesting day.