Asmara Eritrea - June 1st 2004
The first days of June are the last days of my three weeks stay in Eritrea. I will check all bus lines with the manager of the bus company. When all information is verified and corrected, I walk from the bus terminal to the center of Asmara, for the goodbyes to some of the people I met during my stay in Eritrea.
There is also a short visit to the offices of the Ministry of Tourism. I need their help for some not so easy to find souvenirs. And say goodbye to Meaza in the small office on the opposite side of Harnet Avenue. She invites me to have a donut and a cup of tea. It is one of the donuts of Bbrssy Donut House, just behind the Ambassador hotel. Although it is the most expensive pastry, it bakes the most delicious cakes and donuts.
For the third time I meet the taxi driver that invited me to walk with his friends. Every Thursday the start from the Alpha supermarket and walk in a different direction. I recognize the faces of the Eritrean people, but I still have some difficulty to remember where I met them before. In Harnet Avenue I meet the broker. He invites me to drink tea with him.
In snack bar City Center, not far from the City Park, I order and omelet with some bread and cold milk. I know the place from last year. Clean, fresh breads and a good cook. Two young boys sitting at the table next to me, move to my table. They want to know where I am from. One of them, Fassil, is from the USA, the other one is Emanuel, his nephew. He lives in Asmara. I tell them about my journeys through Eritrea.
Fassil is surprised that I visited all parts of Eritrea. He did not leave Asmara yet. Fassil wants to know if I visited other African countries. "Aren't you curious to visit Ethiopia for example?" I explain I will not set one foot in this country under the present circumstances. "And if you would have met an Ethiopian wife?". Then I would have visited her country, but there would be no reason to be proud of her country.
Ethiopia is a country with rich traditions. One of them is making war, aiming either to rule or dominate the whole of East Africa, including Eritrea, Djibouti and Somalia, shifting its borders on a regular bases, occupying surrounding lands, and continuing these ancient practices up to now, suppressing the people of the conquered regions.
The fact that many millions of Ethiopians are living on the edge of starvation has a lesser priority, and should be solved by asking food aid to the European Union and the United States. You cannot eat a rich history. And it's a lot easier to cry for emergency food aid than to cry for emergency military aid.
I exchange e-mail addresses with Fassil and his nephew. Tomorrow we will continue our discussion on the "Shifta Woyane", and their 3000 year "legendary empire".
Eri-TV is still broadcasting reflections of the celebrations of the 13th independence day. Amsterdam, London, Washington, Los Angeles, Frankfurt, Seattle, Toronto, Sweden, Denmark. Eritreans all over the world are dancing and feasting. And gathering donations to support their country: projects regulating water supplies, agriculture, education, assistance to the families of the martyrs.
Evangelical church Medeber - Asmara Eritrea.
The Endamariam cemetery at Medeber - Asmara Eritrea.
Number 6 bus to Haz Haz at the Martyrs Avenue bus stop - Asmara Eritrea.
View on Harnet Avenue from Cathedral Snack Bar - Asmara Eritrea.
Shoe-shine boy - Asmara Eritrea.
Milano Restaurant - Asmara Eritrea.
Boy selling candy and handkerchiefs - Asmara Eritrea.
Decorated shop window of a machinery shop - Asmara Eritrea.
Catholic Cathedral - Harnet Avenue Asmara Eritrea.
Eating a pizza in Pizzeria Eritrea - Asmara Eritrea.
