Feb 23, 2006 - Broken Heart in Eritrea

My first day in Asmara was a shock. I couldn't recognize the city I had covered three years ago for the 2nd edition of the guidebook. Very few cars in the streets. Very few people in the shops. Very few buyers in the markets. Restrictions on basic commodities. Power cuts. A currency declaration form to fill at the airport. A travel permit to obtain at the Tourism Centre. Where was the dynamic, buzzing, self-confident Asmara I remembered? Everything seemed at a standstill. And not only in Asmara. The whole country is 'frozen', on hold. In...

Mar 29, 2005 - Deported from Eritrea!

Copyright 2005 David Rich 1300 Words jdavidrich@yahoo.com D E P O R T E D F R O M E R I T R E A! What an adventure I'd planned! I'd explore the art deco city of Asmara, capitol of Eritrea, the newest nation in Africa that had gained its independence in a bloody war with Ethiopia. Then I'd bike 120 kilometers steeply down to Massawa to join a group of Brits sailing up the Red Sea to Alexandria and Cairo, carefully skirting Sudan and Saudi Arabia. I could only think about the next stop being Eritrea while the immigration officer at Sana'a...