The Ethiopian adventures of the travelling sisters

Every day I get to correspond with many travellers from all corners of our great wide world. I feel honoured to catch a glimpse into the lives of many wonderful people. Sometimes, on the rare occasion, I get to meet these people face-to-face before or just after their great African adventures.

Earlier this year, one of these rare occasions arose. I had the privilege of corresponding with two sisters who travel the world together and have done so from a young age. Since completing film school, some 20 years ago, they have continued to travel across continents, over many borders - north, south, east and west. 

I got to meet these intrepid sisters in Cape Town after their trip to Ethiopia and hear about their adventures.

Jacklyn and Shelly with Ethiopian tribes by Compass Rose Images

This post is about my clients and their trip to photograph the exotic tribes and endemic wildlife of Ethiopia. 

Meet the travelling photographer-sisters: Jacklyn and Shelly

Shelley Lance-Fulk and Jacklyn Amtower are wildlife photographers, adventurous travellers and sisters.

The travelling sisters live in a small rural community in Beaver Cove, Maine, on a large lake. Their home is rich in animal life such as moose, deer, bear, raccoon, fox and colourful birds. 

They grew up in Los Angeles with cats, dogs, birds and fish, which is where their love for animals started. A passion which took root on their first trip to Europe when they were in their teens. They began with a modest Brownie Instamatic film camera. Although immersed in the beauty and history of the countries they visited, their keenest interest was in photographing the animals - cows, horses, sheep, goats and chickens. In college their training in film photography involved wildlife. Ever since, their attention has remained focused on wildlife across the globe. 

Since their introductory trip to Europe in their youth, the compulsion to travel has remained with them. They have since visited all 7 continents and hold passport stamps from 137 countries. Many of which they have visited multiple times.

The ability to combine the wildlife they love with the regions and cultures they visit has driven them to travel for as long as five to six months a year. Even when returning to the same countries repeatedly, each experience is unique. Their images bring a new appreciation of the animals, people and places that they observe. Being able to capture an Antarctic penguin chick emerging from its egg, giraffes exhibiting necking behaviour for dominance or the chaos of the Great Migration always amazes them. 

Almost 20 years ago, the sisters converted to digital photography. Moving to digital has enabled them to impose their images onto ceramic tiles, coasters, trivets, trays, canvas and metal prints, calendars and other products. 

Ten years ago, Shelley and Jacklyn started their company, Compass Rose Images. The aim of the company is to enable others to share in their adventures and experiences through photography and stories. The travelling sisters have also authored three books; Can I Carry Your Luggage?, Upside Down and Backwards and Dromomainea. Their fourth book, GPS, is being edited by their publisher and should be out by late May this year. The travelling sisters also exhibit their photography in shows. From March through December they exhibit in Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and New York. They also do talks and presentations on various platforms, highlighting their fun and moving experiences along with their favourite photographs.

After meeting these fabulous ladies in our Cape Town Office this February, I got a full rundown of their Southern Ethiopian experience.

Photos & stories of their travels in Ethiopia

Here they share the good, the interesting and the typically deep, dark African bits!

Of all the places in the world, why did you choose Ethiopia?

Our interest in Ethiopia has been longstanding. Although we have visited many other countries in Africa, we were recently prompted to travel to Ethiopia when two visitors at our artisan show touted the merits of visiting their native country. 

They told us that Ethiopia is the only African country that was never colonised. Thus its culture and history remain near intact. It has experienced only minimal European influence. We further learned that many endemic animals, such as the Ethiopian wolf and gelada “baboons”, only exist in Ethiopia. In addition, the first hominid, Lucy, was found in Hadar.

Then there are approximately 80 tribes living in the country. Being able to visit and observe some ethnic groups we’d read about offered a wonderful addition to our usual wildlife experiences.

Ethiopian culture

We were thrilled to combine our two goals of wildlife and tribal photography on our most recent trip with African Budget Safaris. We have had excellent experiences with their tours in the past, so our decision was easy. We can spend a long time capturing the desired photograph which calls for flexibility on the road. Therefore, African Budget Safaris' ability to arrange a custom and private tour was perfect for us.

We primarily chose the southern part of Ethiopia for the ethnic groups and the Ethiopian wolf. We visited 9 ethnic groups including the Mursi, Hamar, Dorze, Ari, Benna, Tsemay, Karo, Konso and Turmi.

Ethiopian villager

We knew the infrastructure and roads to the remote villages would be challenging. But by remaining adaptable and using humour we overcame some tough challenges. Including problems with accommodation, food and chaotic markets. Each of the unexpected experiences added to the overall enjoyment of our trip.

Although spotting the critically endangered Ethiopian wolf presented another challenge, we saw them - thanks to the persistence of our driver and guide. We enjoyed observing several of these elusive animals as they went about their daily routine at 13,000 feet of elevation. 

Ethiopian wolf

When returning to Addis Ababa we took time to visit the National Museum of Ethiopia to learn of the history of the remarkable country and view the skeletal remains of Lucy. At the end of our initial tour, we travelled north to the Gandar area to capture the Gelada Baboon, an animal our clients frequently request.

What were your Ethiopia travel highlights?

We met all of our goals thanks to our driver and guide’s persistence. They made sure all we wished to experience would be realised. We visited and observed 9 ethnic groups and observed and photographed the Ethiopian wolf and gelada monkey.

Gelada monkey

One of the top highlights of our Ethiopian adventure was being able to participate in an 8-hour immersion in the Hamar tribe’s bull-jumping ceremony. This is an initiation ceremony whereby an adolescent male becomes a man. Getting permission to watch the day-long ceremony, combined with the timing of being in the area when one of these events took place, was incredible. Our guide worked for several days to enable us to spend the day with the Hamar people during the rite of passage ceremony. Apparently the Hamar denied access to the BBC the previous year. Even after a month of them requesting an invitation to photograph the ceremony and offering $25 000.

Ethiopian tribe

Our guide had a contact within the group who allowed our participation. We remained with the Hamar people through several initial activities, including dancing and chanting by the women. We also witnessed the custom which involves the women begging to be whipped, and the repeated whipping sessions (disturbing activities to watch). Then we saw the preliminary initiation of the young male and the ultimate bull-jumping ceremony, which was an incredible experience. We were fortunate enough to meet the young man before the ceremony and to talk (through an interpreter) with many other tribal members who included us in their special day. They invite very few other people to take part in the rite of passage ceremony so we were grateful for the effort of our guide to arrange such a rare visit.

What is your most treasured memory of Ethiopia?

The Bull Jumping Ceremony.

Bull jumping ceremony by Rod Waddington

What were your most scary moments in Ethiopia?

Other than getting food poisoning, the rats entering our lodge after the rains collapsed the roof was pretty hair-raising!

We called it The Night of the Rain and Rats! With a big thunderstorm and heavy rain, the roof of our lodge bathroom collapsed. As the water levels continued to rise, we moved our luggage on top of our beds. After hearing a waterfall in the next room, we approached the bathroom. There we were, standing in water, photographing the water pouring in from the collapsed ceiling. Next thing, rats began pouring in from above and below - falling from the ceiling and scampering across the floor. We could deal with the rain, but the rats were a different story!

Driving through the busy villages is usually scary with all the people, cattle, goats, sheep, horses and other animals walking or sitting on the roads. There was one instance where we almost hit a horse that crossed the road in front of us and got stuck between our car and a car heading in the opposite direction. The horse got confused about where to flee and both vehicles had to take evasive action.

Street in Ethiopia

We did not have any close encounters with animals in Ethiopia, unlike the other countries we have visited.

Did you get off the beaten track?

Other than in Addis Ababa, all our driving was on rural, off the beaten track roads. Our experiences with the ethnic (tribal groups) were unexpected and outstanding. The bull-jumping, watching the Mursi apply facial paint, the Ari performing their artistry skills and learning of the specific tribes’ cultures and traditions was enlightening.

Mursi tribe villagers

What were the local people like?

Everyone we met in cities and villages was welcoming and would do anything to be sure we enjoyed our trip. Even when Shelley was in the throes of food poisoning, the hotel staff made up a concoction to assist with vomiting and diarrhoea and gave us enough to take on the road. Another person drove to a local pharmacy to pick up medication for her, without being asked. People always offered us food and drink. When we needed directions on the road, people always assisted. All communication with the tribes was through an interpreter, but the villagers were eager to talk with us. The people in Ethiopia are proud of their country and thrilled to share their stories. They couldn’t have been nicer and more hospitable.

Omo Valley tribe

How was your Ethiopian wildlife experience? 

We did not see all the animals we hoped to film. There are limited road networks, even in the national parks. Thus, even if there were animals in the area, we could not get to them. We wanted to see the forest elephants in the Chibura area, but only viewed and filmed them from 2 miles away. We would have preferred a closer vantage point, but luckily, we had long lenses. We saw many new birds and mammals…

Birdlife of Ethiopia

Our highlight was the wolf and baboon.

Gelada baboon

Tell us a bit about your guide in Ethiopia

We could not have had a more experienced local guide. He went above and beyond to make our experiences special.

As photographers, we look for certain lighting, backgrounds and animal orientations so it cannot be easy for a guide to meet our expectations. He never complained but seemed to enjoy our antics and attempts at getting the best photos we could. He worked for days to obtain approval for us to join the Hamar tribe. We expected to go to a nearby village to observe their homes and customs but it was certainly a thrill to be able to attend the bull jumping ceremony. If an accommodation was not up to what he expected for us, he changed our room, managed our food ordering with unfamiliar menus and made sure we had the best experiences the country could offer. Grum (our guide) was a treasure!

Any interesting facts about Ethiopia that people might not know?

• Ethiopia is considered the birthplace of civilization.
• It is the only country in Africa that has not been colonised, although it had to defeat the Italians twice to remain independent.
• Coffee was first discovered in Ethiopia (and it is wonderful!)

Do you have any advice for others travelling to Ethiopia? 

The best advice is to enjoy and embrace the unexpected. The country is beautiful and each ecosystem and elevation offers fresh opportunities. Maintaining flexibility and a sense of humour is necessary.

The infrastructure and accommodation establishments are less than 4-star. As a poor country, the needs of the people are overwhelming. Outside the cities, the roads are mostly dirt, cratered and most times, after rain, washed out. Whenever you can travel at highway speeds, after a few minutes, you must slow down to navigate the bumps or holes. Herds of animals are everywhere on the road, so you need to slow down for these obstacles too. When going from one camp or village to the next, it takes well more time than expected. On many days we were on the road for 10 hours or more. There are no rest stops or gas stations for bathroom breaks, so stopping for “bush retreats” are necessary. We normally carry the Urimate cones so we can void standing up.

There was one time we tried to get over a mountain pass three times. After two to three hours of ascending the mountain, we reached a place where the road had washed away. So we had to retrace our steps for two to three hours again. We had the same experience on two more attempts before we could pass from one side to the other. We didn’t think the 13 hour day would ever end.

It helps to bring some non-perishable snacks like peanuts, cookies or crackers. Especially for on the road, when places to eat are scarce or the food presented is not desirable. There is always water, wine or beer available.

When visiting villages, local cash is useful as most tribes charge photographers for each picture. Our guide usually negotiated a single fee for us to take as many pictures as we would like. The fee was usually small (perhaps $6USD) but we had to pay a fee per camera. There were times we just used a cellphone. Even when taking a picture while driving, people ran to the car expecting payment. A good guide will manage this inconvenience for you and pay in local currency. We would reimburse our guide in dollars every few days. The price is minimal but most annoying. So, if small denominations of the local currency are available via ATM; it makes sense to carry some.

We would suggest travelling to both the south and the north of Ethiopia as the food, roads, cultures and animals are different.

How can our clients find you to request a print or visit a show?

Most of our Ethiopian photographs are of tribal people, but we also have many from our wolf and gelada adventures. We don’t put the photographs of people on the website for privacy reasons, but the animals are on our website. We have completed two PowerPoint presentations where we highlight the photos of the tribal members and tell the stories of our encounters at libraries, schools, art clubs, etc. Our latest book, GPS (Go, Play, Share) is mostly about our Ethiopian adventure, including the tribes. It does, however, also feature stories from other continents too.

Southern Ethiopia tribe

We are unsure of when our show season will start after the virus retreats. Our schedule is now on our website (subject to cancellation because of the current travel restrictions). Our first presentation is on May 20 at the Augusta State Library in Maine, but again, who knows? We are contactable via the details on our website should anyone wish to visit one of our shows or request a print.

Photographer sisters by Compass Rose Images

It was such an honour to meet these two explorers, hear their stories and see their pictures. Embracing new adventures, seeing where the wind takes them and engaging with all along the way. I believe our paths will cross once again, perhaps in their neck of the woods.

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Note from Claire:

Shelley and Jacklyn's trip was quite different to my Ethiopia tour, back in 2008. When I visited Ethiopia, the country was celebrating its millennium and enjoying being 20 again. I travelled along the traditional northern route - a journey through a land steeped in mystery, magic and wonder. A land of castles and churches dug by hand and chiselled into the ground.

Ethiopia has something to offer every traveller - the nature lover, the coffee drinker, the foodie, photographer, soul seeker and fairytale-believer. It’s all there, wrapped up in a warm and inviting land we call Ethiopia.

For more about what Ethiopia is like to visit and how to plan a trip there - get in touch with me.