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Journal of African trips

African trip [I]

Agelasto
2004-05-20 20:57:33

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Eritrean/Ethiopian food is basically globs of stewed vegies or meat served on a sourdough
pancake that is about 2 feet in diameter. One eats with one's right hand (Islamic culture does not
use toilet paper but provides a cup of water and the left hand is reserved for matters of..you get
the picture). I enjoy Ethiopian food in moderation (once a month is sufficient); eating it every day
would be restaurant hell. On this trip, I often seem to view Africa through the eyes of a Chinese
resident, and I could easily eat Chinese food every meal and not feel eating was repetitive. I could
say the same about Egyptian food (which is the best Middle Eastern food I have ever had), but as
you travel south in Africa, quite frankly, the food deteriorates. It might be better on the West
coast through Francophone Africa, where perhaps cuisine is more influenced by French than
English tastes and methods.

As you might recall from a small news item hidden in the bowels of the western press, Eritrea and
Ethiopia declared war in May. The exact month I was there. When I was in Asmara, people were
worried about the tense border situation. I was ticketed on Ethiopian Airlines to fly from Asmara
to Addis Ababa (the capital of Ethiopia), but the day I arrived in Asmara Ethiopian Airlines was
denied permission to fly in Eritrea airspace. I spent a few hours over a few days arranging to
leave Asmara. My ticket was eventually accepted on Egyptian Air and I flew into Ethiopia on
Sunday, 17 May.

A few words about the current Eritrean-Ethiopian war. One might be able to present rather
rational arguments against the creation of an Eritrean state, but what's done is done. For all the
charm of its capital town and the pleasant nature of its people, Eritrean doesn't have much place in
the global economy. It doesn't export much of anything, ...