The theme of this week’s Photo Friday is Southern Ethiopia. This is part of my personal effort to convince as many people as possible to visit Africa. After spending several months on the continent, we realized that we had only experienced a drop in the bucket. Africa is so huge and diverse that it would take years to fully understand all of the cultures, history, tragedy, and beauty that this immense land has to offer.

Part of our time in Ethiopia was spent making a journey to the tribal areas of the south. This region is difficult to travel in due to rough roads and a lack of development. A diverse and amazing group of people greeted us with warmth, friendliness, and curiosity. We met the Mursi tribe, famous for their piercings and huge lip plates. We also met the Hamer tribe and were lucky to witness the Jumping of the Bulls ceremony, complete with all of its controversial induction rituals. If you’ve never thought about Africa, think again, and put Ethiopia on your bucket list.

Konso village, Ethiopia
A girl runs away from us in a Konso village
The Hamer Tribe
The Hamer tribe, preparing for a ceremony
The Dassenech Tribe
The Dassenech tribe lives in villages made of branches, wooden boards, and scrap metal.
Hamer Girl
Hamer girl, at the Jumping of the Bulls ceremony
Ethiopian Girl
Ethiopian Girl
Mursi Woman
Mursi Woman
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