April 6, 2013 Aalo to Zirdo village, the Adi Gallo tribe celebration of Mopin with us as honored guests

We took off with an additional rider who was to take us to a remote village that had never had a foreigner visit, and which was supposed to be two hours’ drive away. It turned out to be about four hours away, with stops to look at birds, including almost an hour of off-road driving on a track leading through jungle and paddy fields to the village, which was called Zirdo, and was a traditional Adi Gallo village.

Mopin Procession in town of Bassar

Rice fields starting to be planted

Adi man making basket on his porch

Serving Rice Beer with Rice paste on face

Girls dancing  - see video

Our Rice Plates are full

Special rice basket for house ceremony

The road to the village

Young girl putting rice water on alter

Gifts we received with the weavers

We were taken in to the headman’s house on wooden stilts, given seats of honor by the central fire, given rice wine in bamboo, followed by cooked wild boar,  venison, some metoon (a bison-like animal), and pork, all served in wrapped leaves along with rice and some greens. The schoolteacher had been called back to the village to serve as interpreter and master of ceremonies when they heard that they would have foreigner s as guests, and he announced our names and that we were from America. We took some pictures, and they took a few of us. Then the ladies danced, an older lady sang a traditional song, the elder men chanted old blessings, and then everyone had their meal. We were given rice on large leaf with daal and some condiments, and kindly given spoons to eat with, while everyone else was eating with their hands. David decided that he should reciprocate for the entertainment by singing them a “traditional American song”, which the interpreter explained to them about “The man who had a goat”.  Then the interpreter and one of the tribe helped David by echoing the song with him, and it went over OK after he started mimicking the goat throwing up the red shirts to flag the train.  The interpreter then announced that the village had presents for us, and put on a hand-woven skirt for Leslie and vest for David, and we were photographed with the makers. Then the men and the women separately had conga lines of chanters go to different houses to bless them for good luck in the coming year. Then, after visiting another home for tea, we set off on our 4-hour trip back, arriving back at our hotel at about 8PM. It was a long but very interesting day.