AIR NATION

Why I think Ehtiopia should win^
It was way behind my expectation.

I left for 5 days only and had plenty souvenirs and pictures to bring back with me to make me smile for another year or so. It turn out to be a trip of a life time.
I was meeting my sister in Addis Ababa where she was doing humanitarian work. She had the long week-end of orthodox christian easter off. It was perfect timing for us to finally do a small vacation together. Making sure I had all my shots, I pack my bag and flew away in this mysterious country. Our main goal was to encounter the Mursi tribe women if we could in such a short time there.
I arrived in the early morning around five ish, it felt like I landed in Vancouver Canada. It was beautiful; the birds were singing me welcome.

Wonderful day ahead of us. It was sunny in the rainy season. As soon as I got to the hotel, I drop my bags and went with my sister to the biggest mercato in Africa. It was fantastic. People are so friendly and so convenient to explain to us all these new things we were seing. We could have spend a week in there trust me. Afterwards, we went for pizza, perhaps the only legacy that the Ethiopian dont mind keeping from the Italian invasion. We visited some leather shops in the afternoon and finish up the day with an afterrnoon traditional coffee a the Hilton where we met interesting and friendly people. After spending the evening to get organize for our big adventure in the Omo Valley region we were ready to hit the bed at the Washington hotel. We left Addis to Arba Minch and stayed over night. We met our driver before dinner at the Tourist Hotel with a friend. We had a good evening.
3 Oclock in the morning we had a weird wakening. Orthodox Prayers were humming the rest of the night away followed by the Muslim prayers. It was not the place to rest but we didn"t care we were going to the spectaculor Omo Valley region.
Unbelievable experience took us to range of mountains and spectaculor scenaries. We stopped over for english breakfast and continued our journey to Jinka where we settle at our hotel. After that short stay, the fun started. We went to Jinka market, hoping to find the Mursi women and the Hammer women as well as the Ara. But we were in the rainy season and the rain started to pour like crazy. Everyone pulled out their umbrella and continued their business like usual until it really showered heavely so we had to run and take shelter. Watching the rain go down we saw right there what we were looking for. Some tribe people runing under the rain like us trying to hide from it. They saw us and decided to come and join us at this very small coffee shop. That moment was just phenomenal it put everything into a standby mode. We entered a world where vey few people have been where women have lived totally differently then my life style and I was suddenly reminded how on earth can you complain about so little stupidities really. When one beautiful woman, many beautiful women are here standing in front of you with quite a different life then yours.
The Mursi women carry on thier shoulder one of the rare style of living on this planet. They are Ethiopia sacred treasure where no one can dictate them what to do or say. I was totally powerless form what I was seing but then again wanted to know so much about them. We took this moment and enjoyed it to the fullest trying to understand each other byt the help of our guide who spoke th Mursi language we had such an intense living moment it was just indecredible and difficult to explain.
here I was in 2016 seing with my very own eyes women that look just like the picture of living tribes from foreign country that my grand father used to have in his encyclopedia.
This is why I travel to see different thing. I m not there to have a hamburger at McDonalds no I am there to see and try different things. I like to see how you really are in your country your region your home.

We met mothers with their infants in their arms. kids holding on to thier dress, young girl, men it was just wonderful to take the time to meet people. I think Ethiopia have kept its exotic flavor and I enjoyed it very much. Women are a rare beauty men are so generous and the country so natural so wild full of secrets to discover.
It simple just by the way they take the time to drink their coffee we are far away from Starbuck here.
Came night time, our guide and our dirver took us to a local bar to meet more people and enjoy some of their spirit specialities and listen to excellent music afterwards we called it a night.

The next day, thank god, it was not raining or else we would have to cancel our trip of our life time. It was sunny and we were able to go to the Mursi village and see where they really live. Now this was so cool so unreal so out of this world and in th eother hand so sad so not right so little to see so far away form my standards of living and then again we were welcome like ueens and kings greated with all the hours of a guest to their homes and we were having the great time of our lifes looking at each other trying to understand being there with them and showing them what is like to be like us too.
We had such a great experience wish I had a longer time to stay there and enjoy a night over.
What people dont understand when develop their country is to destroy everything and do like the other places. All hotel lined up on the strip on on the beach so high that yo can not even talk to a human been.
Our journey was not easy it was extremely difficult to get their and to do but in th ehand our goal was reach and this was priceless. Meeting Ethiopians at the root.

The range of mountains on the Omo Valley region, the people we met on the road was just too much without counting the zebu, cows, sheep, goats, baboons that we saw.
We could have ride on that road for days, months without getting tired of what we saw. It felt like the country belong to us for a short period o time and we could do anything we wanted. We were free to be alive again. Wonderful experience, memorable moments and above all to have reach the untouchable people of the Mursi tribe.

green coffee beans ready to be roasted