Konso Karma

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The last two days have been very full of amazing events. The only time I had to record these notes was at 3:00 AM.

We visited Busso village with photos in hand I had taken six years ago. Showed the Epson-printed images to the village Chairman and elders in the thatched-roofed Mora. They immediately identified the people and it seemed within moments a buzz started behind us. The original subjects had heard about the photographs. The buzz became a commotion when the prints were passed to the subjects. A door was opened.

The next day we went back to Busso with a Polaroid camera. Our popularity grew as villagers tugged at our shirts to take their photos. As our print material dwindled, we packed as many people as we could into an open area and took a massive group shot. With this good photo Karma, the Chairman allowed us free access to the village to take any photos that we wished. This was extremely unusual. The Konso, like the other Omo tribes have become tourist hardened. It’s pay for click. And on their fingers behind their backs, they count the shutter clicks. Our interpreter said he had never seen anyone as lucky as we were in his 13 years as the Konso culture minister.

Then we went to a wizard at another village. He heals people by reaching inside their body to pull out offending stuff. A future posting will show what happened to Ryan and his upset stomach.

This night is our last in the Omo region. Returning drivers and tourists tell us it is very hot further south where the other tribes live. Since Ryan is having trouble with the piercing African heat, and I had a vision a couple of nights ago that research for Africa’s Undiscovered Myths book is complete, we’re headed north into the cooler mountains.