Over and Out |
Sat 24 Apr
Back
in Asmara I buy a newspaper, find a patisserie, and enjoy a lazy breakfast of
croissants, fruit juice and strong black coffee. Later I take a taxi down the
beautiful, breathtaking escarpment road towards the coast (2300m descent in
100km). At some point the road is closed and we're forced to park-up and watch
the impressive "Tour de Eritrea" on their penultimate day cycling
up the escarpment.
The Red Sea port of Masawa sprawls from mainland on to two successive islands. Many old Italian and Arab buildings have been "rearranged" by the Ethiopian shelling in 1990 but people and the busy port seem to have recovered. Men on the coast wear shorts or skirts, but maybe that’s just a sailor thing.
Sun 25 Apr
I
take a local boat out to Green Island, a sliver of land with mangrove trees
and a sandy beach; well away from the port. I enjoy lazing and snorkelling among
the colourful fish and coral. The water is extremely warm, and not at all refreshing,
but it still feels fantastic after my long and dusty journey across the Sahel.
Mon 26 Apr
At
breakfast I manage to find a lift back to Asmara. However, it comes with a bonus
swim, this time further up the coast at a resort called Gurgussum beach. We
also have a posh lunch (white tablecloth, white wine) before embarking on the
drive back up the escarpment to Asmara.
Tue 27 Apr
Well that's it. My sojourn is complete. Tonight I fly to Nairobi and tomorrow
on home to London. The challenges have been faced, the objectives achieved.
All that remains are the well rehearsed antics of catching planes, tube-trains
and a bus to the end of my road. My thoughts are teased already with what lies
ahead: will the lawn need mowing? will there be milk in the fridge? and where
shall I go next?
Over and Out |