DANAKIL /ERTALE #Afar

DANAKIL/ERTALE

The region of Afar is frequently visited by Archeologists from all over the world. Known as the cradle of humanity, Afar region in Ethiopia is where the remains of Lucy, more than 3 million years old, has been discovered. While this region attracts acrcheologists from all over the world, very few tourists visit it because of unsatisfacory promotional efforts made to inform the world of what Afar has to offer.

One of the biggest marvels in the world that tourists would love to see is Ertale. Ertale has first been explored by french tourists some 100 years ago. It is one of the rare active volcanos in the world where tourists can see melting rock from as close as few hundred meters.

The melting lava in the craters of two mountains exhibits one of the unique views in the world. Especially at night, the sprinkling lava which creates a magnificent fire display is one unforgettable scene that a tourist can experience.

The area is also home to one of the biggest salt resource, naturaly accumulated in an artistic way.

A camping night near the Ertale crater provides one unforgettable experience. Arrangements can be made where you can reach the volcano site via helicopter. The other option is to go to the site half way by car and the rest on the back of the mule. Either way an experienced tour and travel agency is required. Security escort is also necessary. ( contact us by clicking here for our support in making tour arrangements.

ETHIOPIA FOOD

ETHIOPIA FOOD
We are currently working to release a link on recipies of the most popular traditional foods in Ethiopia. This page however is develpoed to provide an insight to tourists on the different Ethiopian foods so that they know what to expect and what to eat based on their preferences.

All 66 Nations and Nationalities in Ethiopia have their own cultual foods. Each has not one but several exclusive recipies which makes a complete listing beyond the scope of this page. It is however possible to find some commonalities, particularly for travelers going to urbanized areas.

Enjera is the most widely eaten food in Ethiopia. Enjera is baked more like a pancake on traditional stoves. The ingredient which is known as Teff consists of tiny grains, which are grinded and mixed with water before baking.

Many Ethiopians say that they cannot tolerate eating anything else but enjera. The most important reason is that Enjera is somewhat heavy and not easy to digest. Therefore an Ethiopian who eats light eurpoean dishes is likely to feel hungry just a couple of hours after eating because it tends to digest quickly. Enjera is rich in terms of iron content.

Tasted without any sauce enjera tends to have a little sower taste. While it is one of the most enjoyable foods to eat, enjera is not recommended for those who have gastric problems. The majority of tourists enjoy eating enjera but if you happen to experience digestive problems try eating the various ethiopian sauces with bread instead.

WOT
Enjera is not served alone. Wot litteraly means sauce in Amharic. Different kinds of sauces are served in different cultures and occasions. Here we will describe the most commonly served sauces in Ethiopian cities.

SEGA WOT: this is a sauce made of beef ( or sheep meat) cut in pieces. Other ingredients include different kind of local spices, butter, and lots of chopped onions. SEGA WOT has two major varieties: it can be made with hot spices giving it a dark brown color. This is the kind of sauce that you will be provided with if you simply order Sega Wot. If you are not a spice person you should order ALECHA SEGA wot, which does not have any hot spices at all.

MENCHET: has little difference from Sega wot exept that the meat is chopped in tinny pieces.

MESER WOT: this is a sauce made of lentils with most of the ingredients being simmilar to those described above. A coloring ingredient known as Erd is usually added to it to give it a bold yellow color.

SHIRO: rated highly by many tourists, Shiro is the specialty sauce of the Tigrayan ethnic groups. If you plan to visit Yeha or Axum, make sure you taste the traditionally made shiro of the Tigrayans. It is a good sauce especially for vegeterians.

BEYAYNETU: this is not a sauce but a variety of traditional vegeterian sauces. This is normally served during fasting periods. It consists of some of the sauces that we described above with the inclusion of salads and vegetables prepared in the Ethiopian way. It is an enjoyable meal for vegetarians and if you happen to come to Ethiopia between March and May you are likely to be served much of this meal.

DORO WOT: in Ethiopian Homes this sauce is prepared for national hollidays such as Epiphany, New year... . This sauce is made is of chicken and takes more than a day to cook properly. Delecious and must taste, it is nonetheless one to avoid for those who are weary of fat and high cholestrol.

MOST POPULARS AMONG ETHIOPIANS

Ethiopians are passionate with meat and provided with the necessary resources two meals are given high importance.

RAW MEET: parts of beef and goat meat are popularly eaten raw in all parts of the country. Detail information is available on our do not be shocked page.

KITFO: popular food of the Gurages, Kitfo is a mixture of choped meat, butter and spices specially prepared. Although eaten in homes on ordinary days, Meskel is the Kitfo day for the Gurages. Kitfo can be served in its raw form, half cooked and completely cooked.

Note: while we have provided information regarding raw meet and kitfo, we strogly recommend that tourists do not venture eating this foods. Meet in its raw form is prone to entail a variety of illnesses, particularly parasites. While many Ethiopians passionate about these meals take medications whenever illnesses occur, the medications may not be available in your country as the forms of parasites are not a problem, particularly in Europe. If you want to venture Kitfo try the cooked version.

We realize that some of the tourists traveling to Ethiopia prefer to stick to their accustomed diet for different reasons. Please visit our service directory page to learn where to find what during your travel.

DIVERSITY IN ETHIOPIA

DIVERSITY IN ETHIOPIA
The most recent census shows that the Amhara ethnic group in Ethiopia makes up 40 % of all Ethiopians. Simmilar percentage is attributed to the Oromo Ethnic group. Tigreans follow with about 8% . Note that all these three major groups have their own languages, norms, culture and ways of living.

The interesting part about Ethiopia is that the remaining small percentage of the population comprises more than 63 ethnic groups ( Click on Ethiopian nations and nationalities for a complete listing.). The diversity in Ethiopia is not to be matched by anywhere in the world. What makes Ethiopia unique is the fact that you will find people with a variety of skin color and physic. Each culture has its own definition of beauty, some more or less universal, while others are extraordinary to a stranger.

Take these three examples to understand what has lured several tourists to visit different ethnics in Ethiopia. In the case of ethnic groups like the Amhara, beautiful looks, cooking skills and decency are, among others, the major criteria for a woman to be desired for communion. Among the Mursi in the Omo zone things are different: it is the woman who has managed to fit the biggest plate in her lips which is more desirable for marriage.

What about men? In urban areas of Ethiopia desirable attributes are more or less similar to the rest of the world: decency, income status, acceptance in the community... are the major characteristics sought for. But in different parts of Ethiopia you find different kinds of hurdles that a man needs to successfully pass in order to be desired by women. The Hammers make a good example: a man has to make a hazardous run on the backs of lining bulls to be worthy of marriage( click here for details). Amnong the Mursi tribe where winning a series of bloody stick fights is a pre requisite to ask for a woman's hand in marriage. No less unique is the culture of the Bode tribe. In other parts of the world obeisity is often a source of teasing and stigma. For the Bodis it is the biggest asset leading to have a big choice of women. Men looking for a wife will dwell in forests for as long as a year with their assistants who feed them non stop until they reach maximum obeisity. Click here for more interesting details.

One should note that when talking about Ethiopia we are not referring to one culture but dozens. Yet there are some values shared among Ethiopians , others exclusive to one ethnic.

In a world where material and financial wealth is considered as a source of pleasure, Ethiopia is ranked among the poorest nations of the world despite progress in recent decades. Yet, Ethiopians can be described as one of the happiest people in the world. Suicide is rarely heard of and in the case where one takes place (ironically among the acculturated and well to do members of the society) it will be talked about for several weeks as an unusual occurence.

Urban areas are gradually showing signs of being under western influence and embracing several exotic values. In rural areas however Ethiopian cultures that have survived centuries remain intact. Social life is given highest priority and spirituality remains the biggest value.

Nearly all Ethiopian foods are eaten with fingers as they were centuries ago. In a rural family, members do not eat on separate plates but on one. This creates, according to sociologists, an enormous bond in the family structure.

Coffee is perhaps one of the other things shared among the majority of Ethiopians.Every meal is followed by a trational coffee ceremony, during which neighbors will be invited. Everyone takes turn in organizing these coffee cermonies during which snacks are served. These ceremonies not taking less than 1 hour are, among other things, therapeutic. Participants raise their concerns, worries, complaints ... whatever they have in mind. This process is an outlet which ensures mental well being.

While bond is strengthened in such a way with neighbors attachement with close and distant relatives remain intact. In addition to national hollidays, there are several religious festivities held every month.

ATTRACTION CATEGORIES #Ethiopia

Many who have managed to visit Ethiopia would agree that it would take a person his/her entire life to visit everything there is to see in the country. There are several ethnic groups scattered in all parts of this vast nation, each having unique cultures, traditions, music, hollidays and dances. Yet this is the cultural aspect only. The same could be said for natural attractions as Ethiopia is home to contrasting diversity. History wise there are attractions from the south west city of Harrar all the way to the northern town of Yeha. Wildlife is also abundant in huge varieties.

A tourist flying to Ethiopia is therefore provided with a bottomless pool of attractions to chose from. Time and sometimes budget constraints stand in the way of a visitor to cover everything there is to see which necessitates selectiveness on what to see.

For your convenience we have organized our tourist web page in such a way that you can select the attractions available to see based on your interests. It is note worthy that our listing is far from covering all attractions available in a given category. As we continue building our website to be fully comprehensive of all attractions in one category, at present our lisitng includes those which are frequently visited by tourists and/or are easily accessible.

Communist Derg and the legacy of Mengistu(1974-1991)

Communist Derg and the legacy of Mengistu(1974-1991)
Emperor Hailesellassie knew that factions within the army were actually rebeling against his rule. Despite receiving intelligence about a possible coup by a limited number of military officials the Emperor did not sanction immediate response.

A day after the Ethiopian new year of 1974 a group of army lead tanks to the streets of Addis and marched into Hailesellassie's palace. They spent the night arresting the Emperor's Ministers and gathered them all at the palace on that fatefull morning. Hailesellassie was informed that he was removed from power and was detained. A council formed immediately sentenced the Emperor's officials to death as more than 80 members of his government were ruthlessly killed. The fate of the king remained unknown until, decades later, his body was recovered in the palace. His successor had him killed and buried him in his office, underneath his office chair.

The fall of Hailesellassie promissed to be the beginning of a new age as feudalism was abolished. The newly in power communist government proclaimed the land ownership of the disadvantaged peasants. Landlords were stripped of their lands and their wealth expropriated. They were entitled to only one house as the rest of their assets were taken and shared to the poor. Businesses faced the same fate, as no individual was entitled to a business with more than 500,000 ETB capital. Ethiopia became a communist country.

The regime ended out by being the opposite of what it promised to be. It was the beginning of the bloodiest period in Ethiopian history. This begun when different political movements opposed the regime of the dictator of Mengistu. Attempts on his life were made by different movements and, at a given time, in his palace by his closest advisors. He escaped the last attempt by hidding in a tank parked in the palace compound.

People close to mengistu have written in their books that this moment was the turning point. He not only stopped trusting anyone but also became hysterical. He developped significant mistrust especially against the youth. Mere suspicion was enough to kill someone in public. He put in place what are known as the guards of the revolution with full mandate to shoot anyone who opposed( or even showed sign of opposing the regime). This resulted in the death of hundreds of thousands in a bloody 17 year

This desprate attempt to ensure authority back fired on Mengistu. Some who have seen first hand the mass slaughter rebelled and took arm to liberate the people from the brutal regime. Although the movement was head speared by as few as 5 individuals, their force started to increase as more and more people were given a reason to fight back.

The little educated Mengistu felt that he could reverse this small resistance by building the biggest army in Africa. A staggering 1,000,000 soldiers were part of his military force. This was supplemented with an up to the date arsenal of fighter jets and missiles. He also went as far as building large rifle and bullet factories. 90% of the country's economy went to the army defense budget lines leading Ethiopia's economy to stagnation.

This sacrifice however was still not enough as rebels continued gaining ground. In a desprate attempt to fill in for defecting soldiers Mengistu began to forcefuly recruit unmotivated and untrained students to join the army. Young people were being caught in the street and forcefully taken to battle zones. Nothing however seems the halt or even slow the advance of the rebels to the capital.In 1991 Mengistu fled to Zimbabwe when EPRDF was only kilometers from the capital. After dark 17 years of brutal dictatorial rule, the Derg regime was finaly abolished in May.

Emperor Tewodros II (1855-1868)

Emperor Tewodros II (1855-1868)
Kassa from Quara was a child of a woman who used to sell local beverage: a proffession stigmatized in Ethiopia. His profile was nothing close to that of a king or even a lord as he was not from a royal decent.

Kassa however managed to conquer Ethiopia. In ages where nothing except military might would lead to the thrown, Kassa was a bandit with a small group of followers. Profiting from the lawlessness of the Zemene Mesafint period, he managed to amass wealth with his small crue, allowing him to increase the size and strength of his band.

His ascension to power was gradual. After being the governor of Quara, he gradually started to advance to different parts of the country, managing to subdue lords in all parts of the country. He eventually became the king of kings and was named Emperor Tewodros. He became the first king to rule a centralized Ethiopia.

Tewodros became the father of the Ethiopia as we know it today. After conquering much of the country he went on to reinforce his miltary might. He was not completely satisfied with his arsenal and went on to acquire upto date weapons particularly from the British. He was bold and ambitious enough to be the first African king who built modern military weapon. With the technical support of the Brits he built the first long range canon that he named Sebastopol.

It is the ambition that brought Tewodros to the throne which also lead to his downfall. His ascension to great hights and achievement in areas where other failed gave Tewodros the feeling of invincibility. Among others he made claims that Jerusalem was part of Ethiopia. He even made plans of invading Israel by crossing the Red sea.

It is not only that the Emperor set out to be the first African King to colonize outside his continent. His achievements lead him to denying the due respect to European powers such as Britain. He eventually over stepped a boundary when he decided to emprison British citizens in Ethiopia including the consulate just because Queen Victoria did not reply to a letter he sent her.

Several attempts were made by the British to resolve this contraversial issues through diplomacy. Tewodros declined. The British government dispatched its army to arrest the Ethiopian King.

Perhaps the mission would have been difficult for the mighty European power considering the Emperor's military strength. But the king was betrayed by his own people, notably feudal lords who were forced to pay taxes to the king due to his forceful governance. The British were therefore provided with a clear path to the Tewodros and to free their imprisoned citizens.

Although the Mission lead by the General Napier was focused on arresting the Ethiopian King things ended in a different way. Tewodros was determined not to be captured by external forces. When he knew that the army was advancing to his palace and that his capture was eminent, Tewodros took his own life.

ETHIOPIAN MEDIEVAL HISTORY

Transition to medieval history (1ooo- 1150 AD)
In the ancient/antiquity history of Ethiopia the last years were marked by a period of churches and monasteries built in remote locations and hard to reach destinations for protection against external threats. The most notable attack on chritianity however came from within. Yodit who is said to have been a muslim, was powerful enough to go after what remained of the axumite dynasty. Her main strategy of ensuring power was executing those who were known to be descendants of the Axumite Empire. After what can be seen as a clensing, Yodit devoted a good part of her 40 years reign in destroying christian churches and documents all over the country.
Yodits descendants filled her shoes after her death but lacked the strength and power that she displayed. The third generation of Yodits decendants was over thrown by a Lord of the time known as Mara Teklehaimanot. Thus began what is known as the Zagwe dynasty

Zagwe dynasty (1150-1270 AD)
The Zagwe dynasty, begun by King Mara Teklehaimanot, saw a succession of kings that ruled Ethiopia. Perhaps the most notable was King Lalibela, known as the surviving child of Axumite decent who found refuge in Shewa during the slaughter period of Yodit..
The era of the Zagwe dynasty was marked by isolation from the external world. The internal threat posed by the likes of Yodit also had its toll on the Zagwe dynasty. King Lalibela who often claimed to have been lead by the vision of God mobilized his people to build one of the biggest wonders of the world: the rock hewn churches of Lalibela.
Designed to protect against any foreign attacks, Lalibela built a chain of churches in a process which took 23 years of hard labor. The churches had labyriths, massive water reservoirs and tunnels which made defense against external attacks relatively easier.
Gradually the isolation from the external world came to an end as the Zagwe dynasty joined its global coalition to protect its territory from the ever growing muslim attack. In particular during the reign of King Wedem Ar'ad of the Zagwe in the fourteenth century, Ethiopia was forging alliance with several european countries, especially Rome. This eventually lead to a parternship where European crusaders settled in Ethiopia.

Early Gondar period (1632-1769)
The Tigray city that we know as Adwa today became the head quarter of the crusaders who at the time were strong allies of the Zagwe. The contrubution of these jesuits in Ethiopia was significant as they played an important role in building churches and infrastructures in different part of the country. However in the 17th century, the crusaders were no longer welcome. Upon the death of king Susenyos, his son Fassiledes became his successor. Fassiledes/ also known as Fasil/ made the city of Gondar his capital, where he built his wonderous castle named after him.
Fasil had little tolerance for the European crusaders who, among others, tried to preach a different version of Christianity: Catholic doctrine. He took the measure of expelling the Europeans which was not taken lightely and entailed resistance.
Meanwhile new developments were taking part in the south East of Ethiopia. Trade via the mediterannean sea had gradually entailed the introduction of Islam, particularly in areas around Harar. This stronghold of the new muslim governance was out of the control of the Zagwe, as both civilizations were weary of the other throughout the Zagwe dynasty.
The issue with the Crusaders however brought about a historic event where Fasiledes forged alliance with the south western parts of Ethiopia. It is a historic moment where two Ethiopian powers weary of each other joined hand to fight external threat. The tact of Fasiladas of bringing the Muslim Sultan on board showed his tact and the resistance of the Crusaders was easily broken

Zemene Mesafint (1769-1855 AD)
The line of kings that ruled since the imposition of the Zagwe dynasty governed much of Ethiopia by relying upon getting the submission or alliance of feudal lords, which shared the territories of the country as landlords. The feudal lords were fairly powerful and armed. Kings required tact, alliance, acceptance and most of all military might to subdue these feudal lords and maintain order in their kingdom..
Upon the death of king Eyasu the first however, no successor with the capacity to rule and manage these landlords was to be found. Ethiopia therefore came accross a century where there was no central government. The period was marked by internal strife among feudal lords who became war lords, and where the Ethiopia as we know it today was non existant.
This decentralization and also lawlessness which created a chaotic Ethiopia could have ended only if one of the lords was powerful enough to subdue the others. And after a dark century a new Ethiopia emerged, but the man who achieved in writing the first lines of modern Ethiopia was from an unlikely background.

MONKS: LIFE TIME FASTING

While the avarage orthodox christian will tell you that he tries to abide to abide to his/her religion, there are few who give up their secular life completely to commit their days on earth fully to their creator. Age is not a factor: although most devoted christians become monks after the age of 65 or more, you will find some who become hermits as early as their twenties.

A hermit wears a unique hat for the remainder of his/her life. The moment a person decides to become a hermit he/she declares him/herself " dead and burried" in the religious sense of the term. The hermit leaves all belongings, family, job, comfort... behind to commit each and every day to God only. The hermit will no longer seek any physical pleasure such as sex, sleeping on comfortable a bed or eating delicious food. The purpose of being a hermit is avoidance of comfort and living to pray only.

To emphasis their committment to a life of discomfort in search for repenting their sins many monks live in situations where the majority try to avoid. While there are several ways of living that the interested tourist can visit in different parts of Ethiopia, the following picture shows the life time homes of some monks living next to the Entoto Kidane Mihret Monastery. They live in an area where most Ethiopians will not even consider to spend some time at: the monasteries grave yard. A public toilet is just nearby making the air in their viccinity making the smell in the area untolerable at times . Monks there made this the part of their daily life and self willingly take the role of cleaning the toilet.

These monks are completely detached from the outside world and spend hours on communal prayers. The rest their day is spent praying of reading religious books. Their only way of survival is handouts from followers who come to the church.

ABUNE YEMATA CHURCH

The exeptional Abune Yemata Monastery located in Tigray (350 kilometers from Addis) is one site with unique features but little explored by tourists. In particular hickers will undoubtedly have an unforgetable experience by visiting Abune Yemata which is ofter refered to as the origin of what is now the Ethiopian Orthodox church dogma.

Abune Yemata is said to have built by 9 monks, some of whom were fleeing persecution for their worship while others joined to get away from secular life . Abune Yemata stands is built in the perfect place to meet the needs of its refuges.

While the exact date of when the church was exactly hewn remains contraversial, many agree that it Abune Yemata Monastery was in place since the 5th century AD. Abune Yemata is a monastery which leaves any vistor speechless.

The engeneering of Abune Yemata remains a wonder. It is built on a sandstone cliff 25,000 feets tall, where going up and down is not only tiresome but hazardous if care is not applied.

The climb will however be worth it as once you go up the hill and get to the monastery, you will come face to face with inside decoration of the carved church where every inch of the inside wall is covered by amazing paintings. The style of the paintings are what are now known as the traditional painting style of the orthodox church.

Abune Yemata is also home to some of the oldest books in Ethiopia written by hand on goat skin. Many of the books which are exclusively found in the church have huge religious as well as historical values.

Abune Yemata , used as refuge by the monks centuries ago, is now regarded as a holy place by many orthodox christians. A tourist will be amazed to see mothers, climbing this gigantic cliff with their new born children on their backs to have them baptized in this unique historical site

Information on how to visit Abune Yemata

Modes of transportation: You will have to go by car from Mekele;

Temperature: average temperature is 15 degree celcius.

What to wear: avoid high hill shoes as they make climbing difficult.

Guides: recommended to have a guide who is familiar with the area and have made climbs before.

Security risks: none

Hotels: You will have to go in a nearby town or city( Mekele recommended) to find hotels. Please click on list of hotels in Axum for tourists or Mekele hotels for more information

Nearby attractions: Axum, Town of Yeha, Simien Mountains

DEBREDAMO MONASTERY

Many tourists who go to Bahirdar would also take the time to visit Debredamo on their way. Once you visit this historic monastery however you will conclude that visiting Debredamo should be part of your plan and not a trip to have on your way to somewhere else.

Located 10 miles from the main road, you will have to go through a bumpy road on your way to Debredamo Monastery. You will also need a 4 wheel drive vehicle to cross a river.

But this is just part of the challenge to get to the monastery: you will have to climb a huge cliff by using a rope made of goat skin to reach Debredamo monastery.Unlike churches like Abune Yemata, the climb to the monastery does not pose any threat to visitors: you will be aided by a harness rope from the top to avoid risks of falling.

Once you have reached the top of the cliff, you will experience one of the unique views of incredible landscape that will leave you speechless. The cliff is so high that you get the impression of being on top of the world.

On top of the cliff you will come accross monks who have been living in seclusion for years. Once you reach the monastery dedicated to Saint Aregawi ( one of the prominent saints in the Ethiopian orthodox church) you will be amazed with the unique structure and architecture of monastery. The construction of the monastery, said to have been completed in the 6th century is made with different kinds of uneven stones. The monks dwelling in the monastery would tell you that construction was made by manually carrying stones up to the cliffs.

The monastery is home to some of the oldest and unique books of the Ethiopian orthodox church. Some books are as old as 5oo AD. It is also believed that in times where Christianity was under threat, Debredamo is said to have been a temporary abode of the Arc of the convenenant, currently thought to reside in Saint ary Tsion church in Axum.

You have to pick the right time and be aware of the monastery's regulation before going to Debredamo. The first thing to consider is the timing of your visit. It is never recommended to Visit debredamo during the rainy season. You will have to cross a shallow river on your way to Debredamo, a river which during the rainy seasons tends to overflow. This could make crossing back complicated with the possibility of being trapped for a while. In a perfectly safe area during the day but with a well known bandit threat at night, you wouldn't want to be trapped near Debreadamo.

The second thing to be aware of is that the monastery maintains its ancient and strict law of being exclusively male. This law goes to such an extent that even animals like sheep which are taken up the hills for consumption purposes are male. If you are a female tourist, you can only go as far as the base of the cliff.

Information on how to visit Debredamo

Modes of transportation: The only way to go to Debredamo is by car with the inevevitable climb to the top;

Temperature: average temperature is 25 degree celcius.

What to wear: avoid high hill shoes as they make climbing difficult and tricky.

Guides: recommendable to have a guide who knows the area well

Security risks: Threats are not to worry about as long as you return from the monastery before night fall. Though sporadic, the area has reported cases of bandits problems at night.

Health risks: none

Nearby attractions: Axum, AbrehaWeAtsbeha, Aba Yohani, Abune Yemata = #TIGRAY

DIMA GOLD MININING

There is one thing that makes the remote town of Dima, located not far from the city of Gambela, distinct from other parts of the country which are rich in natural resources. Unlike other parts of Ethiopia, the gold resources in Dima cannot be industrialized: the available gold is scattered in a wide area and is relatively in small quanities. Gold mining companies will not therefore venture working in the area as the project will not be cost effective. The second thing that makes Dima different is the fact that the town is not home to one ethnic group but many. In most cases where there is only one ethnic group residing in a specific town they mostly show the tendancy of being over protective of their resources and may lack the willingness to allow outsiders in. Dima belongs to no specific group and therefore is open to everyone.

Even though there isn't enough gold to attract the mining companies in, there is enough to attract individual gold diggers. On the other hand here is no resistance to anyone who wants to try his/her luck as a gold digger. These prospects have attracted many from accross the country to become self employed gold diggers in the little known town of Dima.

Dima is located in the deserts of Gambella with temperatures going above 45 degree celcius. The town looks empty and deserted if a visitor gets there in the afternoon. None of the local dwellers venture to leave their homes in mid day and if they do, it will be to go to an open air bar to have some drinks till the sun sets.

Late at night Dima becomes alive. One would see people flocking from all directions with basic digging tools and torches. Then starts the random digging. Some go into deep underground tunnels that they have dug over the years. Others simply scrap anywhere in search of gold. In Dima, it is all about experience and luck:lucky and you could wind up by digging out tens of grams; unlucky and your day's hard work will only get you no more than 1 gram of 18 karat gold.

With the current price of gold a single gram can be sold for a little less than 100 USD in Ethiopia. This means that what a random gold digger would make in one day is a little more than what one might earn as starting monthly salary as a bachelor degree holder. It is clear therefore that the town of Dima is home to several rich individuals. This is demonstrated in the fact that small bills which are currently in use in Addis Ababa and all parts of Ethiopia( cents coins, 1 and 5 birr bills) are devoid of value in Dima: no shops or service provider there will accept such bills.