Asmara Eritrea - May 9th 2003

 

The first day in Asmara will be for the family and the friends of my wife. I will deliver the letters and the presents. From Terhas house I walk to the old Sembel village to enjoy the feel of being in Eritrea, to challenge the adventure, trying to meet new people.

The children of Sembel want to shake hands. The older people are surprised to see a tourist in this area. When I reach the street where Yordanos and Feshaye have their little house and grocery shop, the children recognize me from previous visits and hurry to warn their neighbors that I am coming.

In no time I am surrounded by children who all want a hug. And a present of course. Feshaye is the only one who speaks good English. His mother tries to ask me some questions in Tigrinya, but even after five visits to Eritrea, I do not understand anything of her words. She tries some Italian. Again I have to disappoint her.

We drink Eritrean coffee and I am invited to have lunch. I promise them I will visit them later to have lunch. There is so many people to visit. Alana, Yordanos and Feshayes daughter, walks with me to the bus stop, where I will take the bus to the center of Asmara.

In their small - one room - house just behind Harnet Avenue, the main street of Asmara, I am going to meet Haile and Freweini. We drink tea and I try to start a conversation with Freweini. Haile is at his work. She hardly speaks any English, nor do the children, so I have to wait for Michael, her oldest son to return from school.

I tell him I need his assistance to find a grave. He does not understand. Why does his uncle need to visit a grave? I explain to him that it is for people in the USA, whose uncle died some year ago. They were not informed and therefore have no knowledge of the place where their relative is buried. Michael will help me with the inquiries. He is so happy with the money from the US I give him to do the job. But he immediately hands it over to his mother to add it to the family budget.

Next visit is the housing bank. I will try to meet the brother of Mebrats girlfriend. I expected this to be a difficult task. The housing bank is guarded. Men with machine guns ask me what I want. I show them the name and the telephone number. I have to wait. After a few minutes Kibreab comes out. A friendly young men. He invites me to have some coffee in the Damera bar.

In the Damera bar the people recognize me. I have to shake a lot of hands. The girls welcome me with their lovely smiles. They still hide when I point the camera at them. But they do not mind I tease them. "We started a pension just above the café, please mention it in your story", the owner tells me. He hands me some flyers of his pension. Looks good: Center of Asmara, nice rooms, only 8 dollars per night.

"You know more people then I do", Kibreab addresses me. I am proud. I feel at home from this very first day. Kibreab takes me back to the bank to show me his office. He insists I will have lunch with him one time. I promise I will call him. We exchange e-mail addresses and I hurry to the next house, another girl friend of Mebrat.

Gebrehiwot and Zewdi have a beautiful house opposite to Cinema Roma. They tell me they have been looking for me last September. Should have visited them more often. Before I realize there is a complete meal waiting for me. And when Gebrehiwot comes home from his work I have to eat again with him. He insists I have some whisky. Yerusalem, the oldest daughter tells me her parents would be honored if I would stay a few nights with them. I promise to visit them around May 24th, when there will be a lot of fun on Harnet Avenue.

From Gebrehiwots house I walk to City Internet Cafe to deliver a large package from Holland. The girls are surprised and very happy I took the trouble to take the package all the way from their families in Rotterdam. I have to make an appointment to have lunch in their house. I show them some of my stories on the internet. They are even more surprised. "In a few months you will see my pictures of you" I promise them.

Finally I visit Gorzite, Mebrats sister, and Selamawit in Edaga Arbi. It is getting dark and it is difficult to recognize the numbers on the house. But there is a lot of people willing to help me to find the address. We have tea. Selamawit speaks good English, But Gorzite does not and she is shy. I am not supposed to make any video or pictures. She first wants to do her hair and change clothes. I tell her I will not stay long. We will do the pictures next time. I tell them I will visit Hadgembes in Assab. They Are surprised. "You will go all the way to Assab?". When I tell them I will go by bus they are even more surprised. They ask me to come back next Monday to pick up a letter for their brother before I leave.

 

Number 9 bus to the Sembel village.

Sembel village - Asmara Eritrea.

Manufacturing bricks to build a new house - Sembel village.

Sembel village - Asmara Eritrea.

Children playing on the streets of Sembel village - Asmara Eritrea.

Alana babysitting her seven months old brother - Sembel Village.

The girls of the Damera Bar - Asmara Eritrea.

Gebrehiwots daughters Yerusalem and Luwam.

City internet Cafe - Asmara Eritrea.

Selamawit and her baby Delina Daniel - Edaga Arbi Asmara.