Drive to Turmi after breakfast, and en route, if it is Thursday, you can visit Key Afer market. The small town of Key Afer in the Lower Omo Valley holds the largest market in Omo Valley, where three different tribes come together to buy and sell once a week. The market brings together people from the Tsemai, Hamer, and Bena tribes. Everything from fruits and vegetables to wood, honey, and butter to silverware and animals is sold here in the open-air market, which brims with color and sound. Although some are not tourist-friendly, the vast majority of women sellers are happy to pose for your pictures with their wares. You can continue to drive to Trumi, check in to your hotel, and in the afternoon take an excursion to Murulle to visit the Karo people, who reside along the banks of the Lower Omo River. The Karo incorporate rich cultural symbolism into their rituals and use ornate body art, intricate headdresses, and body scarification to emphasize beauty and status within their community. This small but lively tribe numbers under 1,000, but they are the main non-nomadic agriculturalist group in the Lower Omo Valley. Karo can be differentiated from neighboring tribes by placing a higher emphasis on body and face painting. They paint themselves daily with colored ochre, white chalk, yellow mineral rock, charcoal, and pulverized iron ore, all resources found in this area. Karo body painting is a deep aspect of their culture; they are communicating as well as decorating. The experience of visiting the people of this incredibly rich, proud, yet adapting culture gives amazing insight into Ethiopia's indigenous peoples. After the visit, proceed to your hotel.
