TechZati

March 11, 1997

Visa’s were no problem. Egypt took one morning and Saudi Arabia took one day. Clearly it’s not as big a problem to go north as it is to come south. This stopover in Asmara turned out to be the exact therapy and R&R I needed to recuperate. I could easily. Sound a couple more days lounging around, but I must press on to Keren tomorrow. Fortunately from Asmara all the distances are short.

Thinking about how fast time slips through your fingers; I can’t believe it’s the middle of March.  I’ll be in London in what, a month? Still seems far away. But, as quickly as everything else, time will come to pass.

I think more about how I’m going to acculturate back into e Western swing than I think about being in Africa. Have I become that removed? Perhaps not, maybe it’s something to do with my habit of thinking ahead-with. No plan at all.
I think is head cold was my body and brain working together saying “you MUST chill.” in doing so, I’m forcing myself to eat. Not that it’s difficult here-pasta salad everywhere. All part of the therapy.

People in Eritrea definitely have more money than those in Ethiopia. For only being 5 years old, this country is exploding with progress. The president is a good man, which is why everything is going so well. I’ve been talking to the guard and he thinks what’s going on here is good. Speaking of the economy, prices here are more expensive than Ethiopia – a strong sign of a good growing economy.

Everyone between 18-40 years old must do 2 years of “national service” for the country.  Basically manual labor – planting eucalyptus trees and such, but after a war things must get done.
It seems my most interesting conversations occur with the most random people. Now there’s a thought for a film. Adventures in talking with people, not just staring at them.