Today’s post is a quick one, wrapping up the final leg of our trip as we drive from Omo Valley back to Arba Minch.

Our driver Tezera purchases a bunch of these leaves on the side of the road — they are loaded with natural caffeine and will jolt you awake faster than a cup of coffee. I try chewing one but can’t get past the bitter taste.

Speaking of Tezera, he’s a stand-up dude and I’m glad he was our driver for this Omo Valley adventure.

We stop back at the same place we ate dinner last night — Jinka Heaven Drop Restaurant — and enjoy lunch.

Only a few more hours of driving until we get back to Arba Minch. With views like these, I’m not complaining.

On our journey down to Omo Valley we passed dozens of children eager to get our attention on the side of the road — they might do a funny dance or more acrobatic moves like this headstand below, with the hopes that each car will pull over and give them some money (or empty water bottles, which are used to store homemade beer in this area). We haven’t stopped up until now but I ask Tezera to pull over so I get snap a shot of these synchronized upside-down dancers:

Here’s a GIF to better show off their skills:

A few images from the back seat of our 4WD vehicle…

I rent a room at Rift Valley Pension again in Arba Minch for around $10, including a private shower and Western toilet. We’re in malaria territory, hence the mosquito net. I’ll be taking doxycycline, a common anti-malarial, for nearly four months straight during my time in Africa.

My final hours in Arba Minch are spent at this hotel and restaurant not too far from the airport. They have wifi!

I order a macchiato, chicken soup, and thick mango juice (practically a puree) with strawberry sauce. I eat it with a spoon; it’s delicious.

One last Arba Minch post coming tomorrow — our cruise on Lake Chamo to look for hippos and crocs.