Ethiopia: Southern Nations – Karo People Upclose & Personal
Karo People is another tribe that is very popular with tourist groups. Similar to Mursi, they are very remote, literally miles away from South Sudan and Kenya, along a picturesque bend of Omo River. The Karo are famous for painting their faces and bodies in spectacular fashion – very photogenic and they know it. Similar to Mursi, you get attacked by everybody (mostly women with children), asking for money for taking their photos. They are very aggressive and frankly make you feel quite uncomfortable, but once you conquer your inner demons of decency and humanity – you start throwing five and ten birr notes and snapping pictures! Kari is one of the smallest tribes in Omo Valley, just around a thousand people (the smaller the tribe the more isolated and less developed it is, especially if they are nomadic pastoralists). They grow sorghum and maze, and mostly have small animals like sheep and goats, since larger ones are being practically devoured by tse tse flies. The body and face paint is made from white chalk and yellow ochre and some other mineral paints. The hairstyles are also elaborate and use clay to design them. Some of the most incredible pictures I have ever taken!
