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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
............ 
Dec 11, 2004 07:00 PM The outback of Eritrea...
I am in Keren. Sandy, dusty streets, camels and donkeys carrying loads on the main, paved road going from Asmara to the border of Sudan... But the border is closed. The border with Ethiopia is also closed, the only entry by land to Eritrea is from Djibouti... Bad news for the overlanders!... Maybe this is the reason why very few tourists come here now...
Keren market is fantastic! Tailors, blacksmiths, food stalls but the most interesting for me are the workshops of goldsmiths.
They usualy work on the floor level producing golden earrings and other jewellery - also made of silver... Local women wear them - often putting them in their noses... From the distance Keren ladies look like bright flowers in their colorful zurias...
Paradise for the photographer - but you must be smart because thy are very shy...
Can you imagine? In the distant and exotic Keren they have two internet cafes. One hour of slow connection cost only 50 US cents! You can send your messages from outback Africa without any problem...
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Dec 10, 2004 07:00 PM Did you hear about Keren?
Bye-bye the mosquitoes from Massawa! (There were also pretty black-skin girls asking for 10 USD per meeting but I decided not take the risk)... Four hours in the bus to the capital city of Asmara, bus change and another 4 hours from Asmara to Keren - lovely provincial town in the north-west direction. What a lanscapes! Big boulders, euphorbia trees in blossom (unfortunately they windows in the bus were dirty...) We broke the tyre on the route - all disembark and some use that stopover to pray (Muslim majority live in this region). In Karen I got a room in empty Pension Sicilia - 4 USD for double with bath, entry from shaddy courtyard... Recommended!
Karen with most people dressed traditionally looks like live skansen... Hot, 1400 m above sea level, but no mosquitoes in December.... I'll see more tomorrow...
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Dec 09, 2004 07:00 PM Valuable bread, Green Island and coral gardens
Massawa - Eritrea. They have here fuel shortages... But sometimes also shortage of the bread. No bread in the morning!. From the grocery they send me to the bakery - there is only one in the dusty, old street close to the port... The doors were closed and crowd of local people was waiting outside for their fresh rolls (the only brand of bred available here). So was I - the only white tourist in Massawa.
After 40 minutes they opened the doors and first in the line (or strongest in the line) got their supply... It took another 30 minutes until I got mine. Halelujah! For 1 USD you can get 70 bread rolls. I bought 10 only... And I paid 1 nakfa extra for the plastic bag, since I had not own...
From the old city of Massawa you can see Green Island. If you had no chance to pay for the boat to famous Dahlak Islands this could be an alternative: they charge 1000 nakfa (like 40 USD) for half day tour to the Green Island from Massawa. There is nothing special on the island except the ruin of the little mosque. But there is a small beach and coral reef on the way to snorkel - not so bad....
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Dec 07, 2004 07:00 PM Dirty jewel of the Red Sea...
Massawa is a second big town of Eritrea and busy sea port... After insect-free Asmara welcome back to the mosquito country! I got a room with bath for 200 Nakfa (like 8 USD) in Corallo Hotel. If you want to stay in that hotel bring your mosquito net with you! There is tourist office but they have not any map of their town... So let you know: the town is located on the mainland (bus terminal and new quarters are here) and also on two islands connected by causeways. Acceptable hotels (5) are on the first island. The harbor and the old town - on the second one. In the guidebooks they write about the highlights: the port and diving. Let you know what I am thinking now: the best of Massawa is its old town with partly-ruined houses, old mosques and suq. It reminds me Zanzibar. But in Massawa you will met much more friendly people, it was great pleasure to stroll around the alleys - again as the only tourist in town - and to enjoy the atmosphere of the Old Orient. Eritrea is poor, ruined by war, has no resources. Nobody thinks about restauration of Old Massawa. It just remains the dirty jewel of the Red Sea...
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Dec 06, 2004 07:00 PM Cheap bus to Massawa...
I took the bus to Massawa. Bus terminal is located in the northern part of Asmara - close to the catholic church with big dome. People are friendly and they will show you the way.
It is still Africa but I must say that bus service is very efficient.
Yes, we were waiting until the bus was full but then everybody got a ticket and they were loading up only as many passengers as they have seats available. No crowd in the african bus!... Did you travel by african bus? Such a luxury is hard to imagine! And 4-hour ride cost only 20 Nakfa- less then a dollar! The journey through the mountains is very picturesque: a lot of switchbacks, up and downs... The views are stuning - take a right site window seat going to the coast if available. After 4 hours you will disembark the bus in hot and humid Massawa... Have a rest - you are back in the tropics!
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Dec 04, 2004 07:00 PM ASMARA - backpackers' paradise...
Eritrea is very young state. It is former Italian colony and the capital city has very strong Italian flavor. Comparing to the other capitals of Africa in is just elegant with its Italian architecture. Churches, mosques, palm trees... Blue sky. Friendly people - many speak basic english. Cheap accommodation. Inexpensive food - just a paradise for the backpackers. You can have a room for 3-4 USD. For your weak 1 USD you can have here 6 espresso or 8 pastries or 2 bottles of local beer or 36 bread rolls. It reminds me Bangkok or Kathmandu from their best days... With one exception: In two days I saw here only one tourist. I stay in the friendly Pensionne Stella - hard to find - ask for Mocambo Club - it is just 50 m away... Welcome to Asmara!
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Dec 03, 2004 07:00 PM Eritrea - the first steps...
It was 3.30 am when I landed in Asmara - the capital city of Eritrea. Still Africa, but only 8 centigrades... Brrrrr!!!. I was running fast from the plane to the terminal building!. The formalities were smooth... Then I put on me all my warm clothes and went out the terminal. It is 6 km from the airport to to the city center... 4 am. No public bus, few taxi drivers are waiting for limited passengers...
Did you meet honest taxi driver in the airport? Yes? Congratulations!
I have very bad experience - they are the same worldwide....
Here they asked 15 USD for the ride! So I put my backpack on and started to walk along the nice, empty avenue heading to the town... 6 km is like 1.5 h walk - good exercise in the feresh morning. Just remember that Asmara is located 2300 m above sea level and your breath will be short on the first days...
After some 300 m taxi joined me calling: OK,OK! 5 dollars!
I agreed and jumped on. When we arrived to the guesthouse
taxi driver of course asked for more. No more!
He said he will call the police... OK, call! I am going to the
bed! It was 4.30 am. Good Morning in Asmara!
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Dec 02, 2004 07:00 PM Red Sea stories...
To get from the capital city of Djibouti to the old settlement of Tadjourah you can either take a "qaat boat" departing almost every day from "Escale" or crowded minibus from airport road. Both cost 1000 francs. Nobody knows - they said "pas de bateau ajourdhoui" when I came with my heavy backpack to the jetty - so I turn to the bus...
The 4-hours voyage is very picturesque - the views of Tadjourah Bay are most impessive. And Tadjourah itself remains small coastal settlement hidden far from the world: narrow streets, small mosques, dirty cafes... People are nicer then in the capital where I had problems with taking pictures...
The moviemakers just picture there "The secrets of the Red Sea" using local people as a background.
The village is open to the Red Sea - with quite a lot of people walking along sandy corniche after the sunset... They are very friendly and helpful but you must speak french... Pleasant day!
It was my last day in Djibouti - I am flying to Eritrea tonight...
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Nov 30, 2004 07:00 PM Djibouti's biggest tourist attraction
Djibouti - the capital has ten or more internet cafes... They charge only 1.5-2 USD per hour but the connection is slow and to send few messages I am spending more then hour in front of the screen... Africa... Heat, sweat, mosquitos... and computers...
I just returned from my 2-days expedition to the interior. Lake Abbe lies on the border with the Ethiopia - more almost 200 km from the capital, half of that is sand, gravel, stone - access only by 4WD vehicle. But it is worth the effort. Camel caravans on the route... The Lake itself is nice with thousands of flamingoes. But the main highlight of the tour are limestone chimneys - up to 70-meters high located by the nature on the coast of the lake... It is something very different from the other landscapes I saw around the world... Hundreds of them are there... I spend the night in the camp /in traditional rondavel/ and saw both sunset and sunrise there - unforgetable!
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Nov 29, 2004 07:00 PM Clean shirt, stock of film, medicines - just lovely!
Yes, the junk Il-18 plane from Mogadishu with friendly Russian crew landed yesterday on time. After an hour I was in Djibouti airport. I had a lot of stress there. It is Africa - nobody knew about my luggage announced to be send here from Nairobi. Finally after few telephone calls they found it - safely stored in the BA agent`s office. Yes, now I am smart again... I have the charger for my video camera, stock of film and anti-malaria drugs...
Djibouti taxi drivers are also smart. The fare from the airport to the town is 600 francs. If you do not know that they will charge you up to three times more... There is no money changing facility in the Djibouti airport, so bring with you small denominations of USD! 1 USD is worth 177 local francs...
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