Mursi face and body painting

Mother and Child

traditional men's wear

The Mursi People x xJohnny had warned me about the Mursi people. xIt was an echo of the Lonely Planet write up. After reading it, I felt sufficiently warned and made my careful preparations for the visit. xOff came the watch, glasses, ring, and money belt. xThese things as well as my zoom lens were locked in the truck. xI carried my camera and my camera bag strapped around my neck. xMy wallet, with a zillion birr, was zipped inside the camera case.

Johnny also made his preparations. xThere were some Mursi villages he refused to go to for safety issues. x(The Mursi in some places stole cameras out of your hands.) xEventually, we were ready to face the Mursi, and it was amazing!

The women didn't have lip plates on when we arrived. xTheir lower lips simply dangled from their mouths kind of like long orange peelings. xIf the real reason for doing this originally was to make their women undesirable for slavers, well . . . I think it worked. xThe lips were by far the most interesting feature about the women. xNone of the Mursi men were around. (Apparently they were farming or with the cattle.) xIt was our loss. xWe also didn't see any traditional home in any kind of traditional village. However, the Mursi boys were also interesting. Just like the men, they didn't wear anything. xSome had sticks, jewelry, and unique face painting. xBy far their most interesting feature was their ears. xThey wore plugs or plates to elongate the lobes in similar ways to the way the women stretched their lower lips.

The Mursi were the most aggressive models I'd ever experienced. xThey continually grabbed at my arms (it was easy to see how watches could disappear) and blocked my way as well as any football player. xI came close to smacking a few of them. xWhen the photos were done, it was time for sales. xWhat could they possibly have to sell? xClay lip plates. They would be exotic candleholders in my home - and what a steal! xI bought five - fresh from the fire and still hot - for just over a dollar. x

The Lonely Planet further explained a little of what I had just experienced. "For many of the ethnic groups raiding is a part of life - a means of survival in a very harsh environment. xIn Karo language the word 'thief' does not exist. xChildren are encouraged at a young age to pilfer - and beaten only if caught. Some of the people are master thieves; things can disappear before your eyes in broad daylight."

In the morning, instead of taking the direct route up the mountain to Jinka, we had a game drive. xThere were a couple of problems. xThe first one being most of the game had been hunted down a long time ago. xThere were a few wart hogs, dik dik, and a couple of water buck antelope. xCertainly nothing new. xI guess there actually was game - us - and that was the bigger problem. xMago Park was infested with tsetse flies. xThose nasty creatures were twice the size of normal houseflies and way more evil. They could and did bite through clothing, causing welts twice the size of mosquito bites. xGentle brushing away of the flies didn't do any good. xThey were persistent - in your face - not to mention legs, back, collar, and arms. xVery few were ever squashed prior to the attack. xAt one point, as I stomped one into a long smear on the floor mat, Johnny said, "No! No! No killing in the national park." xThat was advice I wasn't about to abide - even though a ranger with an AK-47 sat directly behind me in the truck. x

Swat! xWell, actually several swats! xMy limit of endurance was hit (or bit!) I told Johnny I didn't want to see any animals. xI wanted to leave Mago Park and the tsetse flies immediately. xNo more touring, no more animals, no uncertain terms. x We rolled up the truck windows, enduring the heat, until we reached a higher, non-infested elevation on the way to Jinka.