Asmara - November 29 2009

 

Last evening Almaz, my sister in law left a message with Luwam to pass by next morning. Almaz surprises me with an omelet, fresh breads and a tomato salad. And a traditional coffee ceremony completes the perfect Sunday morning.

Almaz tells me she found all items to bring back to The Netherlands next Saturday. She will bring them to the Zewdi and Gebrehiwot house tomorrow, when Asmara will celebrate the Nda Mariam Nigdet, the yearly church feast of Asmara's Coptic Cathedral.

She asks me when I will come to stay in her house for a longer time. I ask her if it is okay to stay in her house when I will come in July / August to visit the Festival Eritrea in the Asmara Expo.

After my visit to Almaz, I walk through the Gejeret district. I take some rest in front of the San Francesco Catholic Church, where people are just leaving the Sunday mass.

The sunny whether changes rapidly. Thick clouds roll over the Asmara plateau. I did not think of an umbrella or a rain coat when I left this morning. The heavy rain and thunderstorm promptly interrupts my morning walk.

Just in time I can take shelter in the bar of the Savanna International Hotel. I have to wait one and a half hour for the rain to stop, drinking one mai gaz after another, hoping it will not rain all day.

When the rain stops, I visit my family in the center of Asmara. I drink coffee with Freweini and Yodit and I have some hembesha for lunch.

At 13:00 I have an appointment with David Wand, a Canadian volunteer, working as a Monitoring and Evaluation Advisor at UNAIDS in Eritrea. We walk through Asmara and visit the railway station.

When we follow the tracks to visit the steam sheds, we meet Tecle, the traffic manager. He tells us that the train will make the trip from Asmara to Massawa on December 5. To late for me, but a good opportunity for David to experience the complete 110 kilometer train ride.

On the pavement cafe of Bar Impero we have a drink. Nursing two large bottles of mineral water, we observe the Asmarano's walk by. The daily ritual of their passeggiata, a gentle stroll up and down Harnet Avenue. A see-and-be seen activity for a romance, or to meet and greet friends.

Every once and a while a child is begging for some Nakfas "Nda Mariam". Older boys are more to the point "Give me your money". An old man tries to sell us coins from the Mussolini era. 

A lunatic shares our table. He asks me what I am writing about. I tell him that I am writing about him. He wants to know what I am writing about him, and is not amused. The staff of the Impero Bar takes care of him. He is kindly requested to order or to leave.

Clouds fill the sky again. It gets windy and cold. I decide to go home, before it will start to rain.

On the steps of the Catholic Cathedral, stands a 30 year old man in a workers outfit of the Asmara Bus Company. His eyes are almost closed. Pinned on his chest is a laminated message in Tigrinya. I ask someone to translate the message. "Essentially it says that he is blind, and unable to work." I leave him a ten Nakfa note

 

Patriarchate of the Eritrean Orthodox Tewahdo Church
Warsay Street Tiravolo Asmara.

Irga Building - Tiravolo / Gejeret Asmara Eritrea.

Fiat Tagliero Service Station - Tiravolo / Gejeret Asmara Eritrea.

Asmara Star Hotel - Gejeret Asmara Eritrea.

Italian style housing - Emberemi Street Gejeret Asmara Eritrea.

ENWDVA - Zoba Maekel Rahayta Street Asmara Eritrea.

Saint Georgis Orthodox Church - Gejeret Asmara Eritrea.

San Francesco Catholic Church - Gejeret Asmara Eritrea.

Dogali 178 Street Gejeret Asmara Eritrea.

Savanah International Hotel - Gejeret Asmara Eritrea.

Coffee ceremony with Freweini and Yodit - Asmara Eritrea.

Steam depot - Railway station Asmara Eritrea.

David Wand driving the Fiat Littorina - Railway station Asmara.

Fiat Littorina detail - Railway station Asmara.

Abandoned railway stock - Railway station Asmara.

Eritrean Railways logo - Railway station Asmara.