Near the Baro...

Near the Baro River, the trees and wildlife allow a glimpse into Ethiopia's past, when forests covered much more of the Ethiopian landscape than today. Within the forests and suspended over the Baro where trade and travel routes intersect are bridges made entirely from vines and branches. Beyond the spectacular scenery here, I have never eaten better honey or bananas anywhere else. In the photo above, my friend, Endalkachew, carefully tests a bridge before crossing.

On my first trip to the Baro, I came across two men who lived in the surrounding area. One of these men wore a faded and holey Nirvana T-shirt and had the ability to create an ember in less than a minute using only wooden sticks and the hand-drill technique.

I was carrying a Leatherman multi-tool at the time we met and took notice of the set of tools one of the men wore on a leather strap around his waist: 2 knives and a pair of sticks for fire craft (see photo). I was told by a friend who accompanied me to the river that the men in the area need only these tools when they go into the woods. I think I was impressed at their resourcefullness as much as they seemed impressed by the machined multi-tool I carried.