From Asmara to Keren and the visit to the Mariam Dearit shrine - Eritrea October 25 2014

 

I wake up at 03:00 AM to walk to the nothern bus station. Dawit stongly suggested I should be there at 04:00. Although it is my rest days and the time is not very customer friendly I follow his advise. At 04:00 I am at the bus station. Although I explored both the directions to, and the bus station itself, to prevent surprises so early in the morning, I find it difficult to find the exact location of the bus station. It is very dark on the streets of Asmara, and there is very few people on the streets to ask the directions.

When I judge I am close to the bus station, I ask the directions to the Keren buses to the first Eritrean that passes me. "Come" is the short instruction. He guides me to the gate of the bus station. Four women are already sitting on a row of wooden crates. "Sit here!". I feel at ease now. I guess I only have to stay close to the women, which should not be to dangerous. Just to be sure I wisper "Keren?". The short answer is "Ewe" (Yes).

Around 05:00 we get a signal that we may enter the bus terminal. Various queues are formed for each destination. I line up for the buses to Keren. Or I should say: I position my backpack in the queue made out of stones, bottles and bags. Each item representing the position of the owner to determine the order in which we will board the buses.

It is extremely cold. I am not prepared for this temperature, wearing a thin shirt only. The Eritrean passengers wear thick coats or a multple layers of dresses. Just for warming my body I walk in circles around the groups of waiting passengers, doing discrete checks if my backpack is still in its original position.

There is no real reason to worry about the safety of my luggage. Eritrea is known as a country of honest and hard working people. This does not mean there is no theft, but by now all the people know the backpack is mine, and the thief will be easily recognised if he walks away with it. I am sure that 99% of the waiting men and women will guarantee that the one percent luring for the backpack will have no chance whatsoever to walk away with it. Of course I carry my passport, travel permits, and money in my camera bag and on my body.

Suddenly a double cab Toyota van is passing. "Keren, Keren!" The van is loaded with gaz containers and offers the seats behind the driver for 100 Nakfa (compared to the 30 Nakfa for the bus). I decide to choose the Toyota van, expecting it to leave a few minutes from now, and promissing a high speed alternative transport to Keren. During the early ride we meet no checkpoints at all.

At 07:15 I am in Keren. Never before I arrived this early and so quick. Soon I will know why. From the Keren bus station I directly walk to the compound of Mariam Dearit's shrine to keep the promise I made in The Netherlands. On request of the mother of a child diagnosed with cancer, I promissed to visit the shrine and pray. And bring back some of the holy ground as the site is believed to have curative and spiritual powers.

The Shrine of Mariam Dearit (also known as the Madonna of the Baobab) is situated in a naturally hollow trunk. A black statue of Virgin Mary is standing in this very small natural wooden chapel. The surrounding compound with its long lines of trees hosting singing birds is in itself a breathtaking devine place. It is visited by thousands of pilgrims from far and near. The sick come for healing, the childless seeking to be blessed with a child, and others coming to beg for mercy. The Shrine of Mariam Dearit is famous for its May 29 Festival held annually.

When I arrive at the site I am exactly in time to witness the last 60 minutes of the weekly / Saturday religious service of Mariam Dearit. I join the prayers, praying for Eritrea and the girl. A few years ago I did the same. The cancer was stopped and the girl deliverd a baby. "Impossible" the doctors judged in advance, because of the chemo and radiation treatments she should be infertile for the rest of her life. Now I am back to ask the Holy Mary to save the life of the mother of the baby, now a five year old child.

I take off my shoes to enter the Baobab tree. The statue of the Holy Mary is now locked behind a fence. It does not matter. I bought two candles outside, light them and add them to those already positioned in front of the giant tree. Inside I say my words, and when I am out again I watch around to decide where I should take the holy sand. It is as if the women gathered can read my mind. They point at a hole next to the tree. It is here where I should collect the sand. I store some of the tree's soil in a small plastic bag dedicated for this mission. I will store it in one of the colorfull baskets to bring to the girl and her mother.

Very happy I walk back to the center of Keren to enjoy a lunch at the bus station. Frittata with zeitun and half a liter of mineral water. It is the first food and drinks I have today, but I guess it had to be like this. I did not feel hungry or thirsty anyway. I watch the activities at the bus station. Small scale trade (fruits and peanus) and buses coming and leaving.

Around noon I walk to the house of Afworki and Hansu. Afworki is working in the house that is under renovation. "You will sleep in the other house". The other house is build by a family member living in Germany. It is now used by Hansu and Afworki as their own house looks like a construction site. Hansu makes me tea and offers to make me a lunch. I tell her I had my lunch at the bus station. She insists I should have a second lunch. She will make some shiro for me. It is served with injera. She knows I love the shiro. The shiro is made of grinded peanuts, oil and spices.

Hansu shows my my bedroom and want me to have some rest. I tell her I prefer to walk through Keren. "It is too hot" she says. But she cannot convince me. I walk back to the city center trying to find familiar faces. Drinking mineral water in front of the Red Sea Hotel Hotel at the Giro Fiori Roundabout, and eating fruits at the local market.

I spend the entire afternoon on the streets of Keren. Before it is getting dark, I visit some friends around the center and closer to the Hansu and Afworki house. But I have to be back in time, because of the very rough road systems around the house and the darkness.

At 05:30 PM I am back at the house. Hansu and Afworki are not in. No problem. The shopkeeper of the mini market next door tells me to wait in her shop. With a sheet of plastic on the upper stairs in fromt of the shop she organises a clean seat. When I am back home we drink coffee in front of the house with Hansu and Afworki.

 

Bar and fast food restaurant Tnsaie Midry Babur
Bus (and former railway) station - Keren Eritrea.

Women selling peanuts - Keren bus terminal Keren Eritrea.

Road to Mariam Dearit - Keren Eritrea.

Entrace to Mariam Dearit premises - Keren Eritrea.

Walkway to the Mariam Dearit shrine - Keren Eritrea.

Boabab and adjacent church - Mariam Dearit Keren Eritrea.

Saturday religious service - Mariam Dearit Keren Eritrea.

Women praying around the shrine - Mariam Dearit Keren Eritrea.

Women praying around the shrine - Mariam Dearit Keren Eritrea.

Women praying in front of the church - Mariam Dearit Keren Eritrea.

Traditional houses (tukuls) - North East suburbs of Keren Eritrea.

Evangelical Church - Keren Eritrea.

Costina Hotel - Keren Eritrea.

Commercial Bank of Eritrea - Giro Fiori Keren Eritrea.

Harat intercity bus - Keren Eritrea.

My temporary residence - Keren Eritrea.

Former railway bridge crossing the river bed - Keren Eritrea.

Bored camels in the Shifshifit dry river bed - Keren Eritrea.

Grande mosque (Jami'e Atiek) - Keren Eritrea.

40ft seacontainer / bike repair shop - Keren Eritrea.

Paulos - Keren Eritrea.

Al Shaba Mosque - Keren Jedit Eritrea.

Local public transport / former railway bridge - Keren Eritrea.

Sorana, sorana! (picture us!) - Keren Eritrea.

Traditional houses (tukuls) - Southern suburbs of Keren Eritrea.