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1995

Eritrea - Cairo to Capetown

Bec
2004-09-20 12:42:02

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Eritrea
Asmara was a small provincial town of about 400 000 people not yet accustomed to its new status of capital of an independent country when I visited it in 1995. It is clean and has a definite Mediterranean look due to the long Italian presence. There are a lot of cafés and bars on the main street, called Liberation avenue, and they serve beer and all sorts of alcoholic drinks which is great after a trip in Sudan.

This is the Ancient St-Mary's Coptic church next to the new Coptic Kiddisti Mariam (St Mary's Cathedral).

And here is the new Coptic Kiddisti Mariam (St Mary's Cathedral) next to the Ancient St-Mary's Coptic church! I went in to see the service and nobody complained.

The Eritreans are black skinned but they have delicate facial features which are close to the western canons of beauty. They are definitely a handsome people.

Asmara's large Lady of the Rosary Catholic Cathedral and monastery was built by the Italians in 1922 right in the middle of town on the street now called Liberation Avenue.

Via Gonnar with the Kidane Mehret Cathedral at the other end. The cross street leads to the central market as full of colours noises and odours as any self respecting market should be.

Asmara also has some good restaurants serving abyssinian specialties which generally consist of meat served with a very hot Berbera sauce on njera, a kind of pancake that replaces bread. In one of them close to my hotel, I had the pleasure of meeting this young lady, Senait Teame, who was studying to be a doctor like her father. Now you have proof of how attractive the Eritreans can be!

I really enjoyed Asmara, it's one of the places in east Africa that I will gladly visit again if the occasion arises. Finally I had to go and boarded a plane for Sa'ana.

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