Asmara Eritrea - May 22nd 2005

 

Today I start to visit hotels, restaurants and other tourism service providers to update the data on the Asmara and Eritrea pages. One of the first hotels to visit is the Crystal Hotel, just behind Cinema Roma. It is a very new and modern high class hotel, managed by Daniel and Rediet, his wife.

We exchanged some e-mail conversations before I came to Eritrea. Daniel and Rediet invited me to visit their hotel, to have lunch. Rediet proudly shows me some rooms, the restaurant and the kitchen, the bar, the conference hall on the roof and the inner court.

We have lunch, discussing my program. Rediet kindly assists me making small sketches to explain directions to various places I will have to visit today and providing me with useful contacts and telephone numbers.

During our lunch it starts to rain. And rain, and rain. Good for Eritrea, not so good for today's program. People enter the hotel. All wet, surprised by the heavy rains. I unfold my umbrella, to finish today's program, walking from hotel to hotel, sometimes meeting a heart-stirring welcome with old friends and sometimes just a polite check of price and address data by a receptionist or waitress..

At 17:00 the rain stops for a while and the carnival starts. Thousands of Asmarino's are eagerly waiting for the action on the sidewalks of Harnet Avenue. The joy of liberty and freedom is hindered by rain and cold wind.

Taking part in the parade are small children from the various kindergartens, elementary as well as secondary school students, from Catholic, Orthodox and Islamic schools and sports clubs, carrying patriotic banners like "We have secured our nation with our blood and now we will reconstruct it with our sweat".

The procession is a mixture of music & dance, expressions of traditional and cultural values, memories of the war of liberation and a display of commercial organisations. The pictures below will speak for themselves. The asphalt bedded stage of Bahti Meskerem Square is the scene of a feasting people, preluding Eritrea's 2005 Independence Day. 

 

Decorated gate - Warsay Street Asmara Eritrea.

Decorated Ministry of Finance, Customs Department - Asmara Eritrea.

"Eritrea is ours!", children's carnival - Harnet Avenue Asmara Eritrea.

Carnival - clouded Harnet Avenue Asmara Eritrea.

Carnival - clouded Harnet Avenue Asmara Eritrea.

Handicapped fighters contribution to the carnival - Asmara Eritrea.

Public Transport Zoba Maakel contribution - Asmara Eritrea.

Girls of the University of Asmara - Asmara Eritrea.

Carnival - Display of Bilen cultural traditions - Asmara Eritrea.

Carnival - Display of Afar cultural traditions - Asmara Eritrea.