Bab el Mandeb to Eritrea
Just before sunset March 24 we leave Aden and head for the Red Sea. We reach Bab el Mandeb which translates as "gates of sorrow" early in the morning. We have decided to go through the small strait to avoid the shipping traffic. With a SE wind of 25 kts, a strong current and big following seas we have a wild ride as we are swept through the strait. Once we are into the Red Sea the current stays with us as well as ESE winds of 20 to 30 kts. On the 3rd day the wind dies and at about noon we motor into the port of Massawa on the African coast. It has been a very tiring passage.
In recent history Eritrea was recognized as an independent country by the United Nations in 1993, following about 40 years of troubled governance by Ethiopia. Conflict with Ethiopia is ongoing. The port of Massawa does not see many ships. Eritrea is a very poor country with little to export. The remains of buildings bombed during war with Ethiopia dot the small city, including the palace of former Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie.
The day after we arrive a cruise ship "Peace Boat" comes in with 600 Japanese tourists who are on a 6 month cruise. We say "kanechiwa" (hello in Japanese) to them and chat with a few who speak English. A good part of the day is spent getting Eritrean visas and travel permits which will allow us to visit the capital city of Asmara.
The next morning, along with Roger and Pam from Cap d'Or, we get on a small bus with about 30 local people and a booming stereo system and head off up a winding narrow road into the mountains. Along the way we pass small villages of dwellings constructed of any available scrap material. Herds of goats nibble at anything that looks edible. On one steep stretch of road we come upon a group of baboons who run alongside our bus. Someone tosses food out the window to them. We stop at military checkpoints along the way where our travel permits are examined. Looking out across the mountains and valleys the scenery is spectacular. We have a rest stop at the village of Ghinda where women are selling fresh vegetables including some county fair sized squash. Roasted ears of corn tempt us but turn out to be quite chewy. We see very few cars here, mostly busses passing through, camels and carts pulled by spindly legged donkeys or small horses.
After 4 hours we arrive at Asmara which at 5500 ft is a more comfortable temperature than Massawa. Although part of Asmara has rutted dirt roads, donkey carts and traditional markets, in the thriving downtown there is a European atmosphere of tree lined boulevards, sidewalk cafes and a large cathedral. A community of Italians live in Asmara, a holdover from the years when Eritrea was an Italian colony.
We stay overnight at the Central Hotel and return to Massawa by bus the next day. It is a challenge to find the right bus and to guard our spot in the line of people wanting to get on our bus. Back in the anchorage we learn that Greg from the sailboat Faith has been taken to the hospital in Asmara and diagnosed with malaria. He had been seen by a local doctor and the doctor on board the Peace Boat but they were not sure what was wrong with him. The doctors in Asmara decided his condition was serious enough that he could get better treatment in Cairo. Eritrea is a cash only economy and U.S. dollars are not available there. Both the hospital and the airline wanted payment in U.S. dollars and the airline was not at all sure they wanted someone with malaria on their plane. Being seriously ill in a developing country can get complicated. With the aid of the U.S. embassy and help from cruisers Greg got to Cairo and within a few days had recovered sufficiently to return to his family on Faith.
In recent history Eritrea was recognized as an independent country by the United Nations in 1993, following about 40 years of troubled governance by Ethiopia. Conflict with Ethiopia is ongoing. The port of Massawa does not see many ships. Eritrea is a very poor country with little to export. The remains of buildings bombed during war with Ethiopia dot the small city, including the palace of former Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie.
The day after we arrive a cruise ship "Peace Boat" comes in with 600 Japanese tourists who are on a 6 month cruise. We say "kanechiwa" (hello in Japanese) to them and chat with a few who speak English. A good part of the day is spent getting Eritrean visas and travel permits which will allow us to visit the capital city of Asmara.
The next morning, along with Roger and Pam from Cap d'Or, we get on a small bus with about 30 local people and a booming stereo system and head off up a winding narrow road into the mountains. Along the way we pass small villages of dwellings constructed of any available scrap material. Herds of goats nibble at anything that looks edible. On one steep stretch of road we come upon a group of baboons who run alongside our bus. Someone tosses food out the window to them. We stop at military checkpoints along the way where our travel permits are examined. Looking out across the mountains and valleys the scenery is spectacular. We have a rest stop at the village of Ghinda where women are selling fresh vegetables including some county fair sized squash. Roasted ears of corn tempt us but turn out to be quite chewy. We see very few cars here, mostly busses passing through, camels and carts pulled by spindly legged donkeys or small horses.
After 4 hours we arrive at Asmara which at 5500 ft is a more comfortable temperature than Massawa. Although part of Asmara has rutted dirt roads, donkey carts and traditional markets, in the thriving downtown there is a European atmosphere of tree lined boulevards, sidewalk cafes and a large cathedral. A community of Italians live in Asmara, a holdover from the years when Eritrea was an Italian colony.
We stay overnight at the Central Hotel and return to Massawa by bus the next day. It is a challenge to find the right bus and to guard our spot in the line of people wanting to get on our bus. Back in the anchorage we learn that Greg from the sailboat Faith has been taken to the hospital in Asmara and diagnosed with malaria. He had been seen by a local doctor and the doctor on board the Peace Boat but they were not sure what was wrong with him. The doctors in Asmara decided his condition was serious enough that he could get better treatment in Cairo. Eritrea is a cash only economy and U.S. dollars are not available there. Both the hospital and the airline wanted payment in U.S. dollars and the airline was not at all sure they wanted someone with malaria on their plane. Being seriously ill in a developing country can get complicated. With the aid of the U.S. embassy and help from cruisers Greg got to Cairo and within a few days had recovered sufficiently to return to his family on Faith.
posted by Anita @ 5:35 AM
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