Semenawi Bahri Eritrea - November 20 2007

 

We agreed to meet at 7:30 At the office of Travel House for this one-day excursion. I am 20 minutes early, the driver is 20 minutes late. At 8:00 we leave to Filfil with Mr. Solomons Nissan Land cruiser.

Soon after our departure we are informed that the Japanese group is delayed at least one hour. We take our time and make a stop at several spots with fantastic views over Eritrea's "green belt" and visiting all three recreation centers when winding our way down on the beautiful tarred road with its numerous hairpin bends..

Mog'o Recreation Center is Mr. Solomon's favorite. A very friendly service "like meeting family", fantastic food "like at home", a view on Semenawi Bahri in every direction from the hill top , and a lovely garden restaurant, partly covered by bougainvillea.

Second  is Sabur Recreation Center which also overlooks the forests of Filfil valley from a hill top. The place is one of the projects of the Ministry of Tourism and currently under development. 

We also spend some time at the Medhanit Recreation Center (the only one with a small hotel) where we join the Japanese adventure tourists and their Eritrean guides, and where we have a lunch.

At our destination, Filfil, an unexpected surprise ruins Mr. Solomon's mood. He invited me to do some bird watching, but employees of the administration of Acria are having a party, and their singing, screaming and drumming is scaring away all wildlife. He is furious. "Why organize a party in an area where people come to appreciate bird life? Why here, why now, when we have invited a group of tourists?"

So we wait for the Japanese group to join us, allow them to spend some time and dance with the Acria administration, and make a short walk through a small permanent river, sided by ancient trees, and wrecks of military vehicles, remainders of what once was the "EPLF garage". It is here that we engage a group of monkeys.

At 16:00 we return to Asmara, and have diner at Mog'o Recreation Center. Mr. Solomon gives me a postcard with one of his pictures. It is a group of beautiful birds living in the area, part of a variety of bird life, whose sounds bring peace and delight to the visitor of the Semenawi Bahri evergreen forests.

A gazelle stands behind the crash barrier, watching us passing. Unfortunately, when I reach for my camera, it is gone.

A dense fog, feeding the moistly escarpment, reduces our sight to a few meters. But the black road with its clear lining in the center leads us safely to Serejeka, from where the road forks to Keren and Asmara.

Mr. Solomon kindly drops me in front of our house in the Corea Housing Complex.

 

View from the road through Semenawi Bahri - Eritrea.

Yonas Debesai (employee) and Solomon Abraha (manager) of
 Travel House International - Road through Semenawi Bahri - Eritrea.

View from the road through Semenawi Bahri - Eritrea.

Mog'o Recreation Center - Road through Semenawi Bahri - Eritrea.

Mog'o Recreation Center - Road through Semenawi Bahri - Eritrea.

Sabur Recreation Center - Road through Semenawi Bahri - Eritrea.

Medhanit Hotel / Recreation Center - Road through Semenawi Bahri - Eritrea.

Filfil camping and recreation site - Road through Semenawi Bahri - Eritrea.

Wildlife - Semenawi Bahri - Eritrea
Photo: Solomon Abraha - Travel House International.

Monkey - Semenawi Bahri - Eritrea.

Coffee ceremony of the employees of the administration of Acria - Filfil Eritrea.

Coffee ceremony of the employees of the administration of Acria - Filfil Eritrea.