Abotani and the quest for rice
This is a story not told in full, related to you through snippets told to me. It is the story of Abotani, the real made mythical, folklore in life, the founder, the first, an Adam for the Arunachali tribes of Galo, Adi, Apotani and Nyishi. In the eastern edge of the Himalaya, in the combined districts of Siang, sitting in the centre of the state of Arunachal Pradesh, amongst the jagged, forest covered hills that will one day by mountains, live the Galo and Adi tribes.
Saudi Arabia: An atheist in the land of the Two Mosques
Saudi Arabia was more about the prize of a visa and the thrill of an atheist in the land of pure monotheism than an exercise in tourism or culture. I can’t deny the draw of Saudi Aarbia’s biggest tourist attraction, chop chop square, through stories I had visions of a dozen guys lined up on their knees, a sharpened blade that dulled as it lobbed off a head at a time til the last few decapitees required a saw rather than a slash. Women in burqa's throwing up, men trying to pick them up in the only authorised dating scene in the country, blood flowing freely, it would be my greatest contribution to YouTube. I was in Jeddah for Friday, I was at the square outside the Mosque after the midday prayers but alas, there were no decapitations, not even a hand.
An Ethiopian Easter
In an effort not to become closed and rigid I decided to celebrate Easter, untouched by God in 31 years I thought if I'm going to have an imaginary friend anywhere, Ethiopia would be the place. According to the Ethiopians this country was Christian before the Armenians, they believed in God before the Jews and the Zoroastrians because the Garden of Eden was in Ethiopia, Adam and Eve were Ethiopians. Apparently in Genesis the Garden of Eden is located at the source of the Nile, forget about Burundi, Uganda and all the competing claims, the source of the Blue Nile is in Ethiopia. The Ark of the Covenant is located in Ethiopia, in a Church I'm going to visit. The line of Ethiopian Kings to Haile Selassie, Ras Tafari, is descended from King Solomon, he tricked Queen Sheba into spending a night with him and their illegitimate child made their line. In addition to the mythology there is a scientific argument, the oldest human remains are located in Ethiopia, the missing link, Lucy, is Ethiopian and the Ethiopians look like no one else on earth. Case closed, forget about going back to Europe to find my roots, the only step back from here is to an amoeba.
Video: Easter in Lalibela, Ethiopia
A Video of Easter in Lalibela in Ethiopia. Praying at rock hewn churches. To watch click the play button on the video below.
Mali: Redeemed by Dogons
Without a plan from Ghana I heard of a Burkina Faso film festival, from Burkina talk of Dogons in Mali, in Dogon Country I found myself a long way off track. I've been heading north and west when Cameroon, my exit from Africa, is east and south. I need a visa for Cameroon which I can get in Nigeria, a Nigerian from Niger and a Nigerian entry via Benin. Mali was a sound nomination for the worlds second most shithouse country until it was redeemed by gun-tooting animist Dogons in a funeral from another world. I left before the triennial circumcision festival started, where the boys line up to get chopped on the same rock, next to the sacred rock where the knife is sharpened and I was well gone before the foot race that determines their lives. First place receiving a plot of land, second place the most beautiful girl in the village, third place receiving three cows of which he would lose one to a sacrifice and last place banished from the village in shame.
