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Off The Beaten Path In Eritrea

After a stay at Angama Mara, Bunny Farnell-Watson revisited the land of her birth, Eritrea. Amidst the ruins, she discovered adventure, warmth and beauty in abundance
Road and railway to Massawa, Eritrea
Road and railway to Massawa, Eritrea

‘Nationality: British Citizen, Date of Birth: 24th April 1950, Place of Birth: Asmara Eritrea…’, I have been filling in these details on forms for the last 70 years. Asmara always sounded exotic – but I knew very little about my birthplace. This all changed after my visit to Eritrea with my husband on our way back home after seven wonderfully blissful days at Angama Mara.

Bunny on safari at Angama Mara
Bunny on safari at Angama Mara
Bunny outside the house she lived in Asmara in 1950. 56 Via Oriani
Bunny outside the house she lived in Asmara in 1950. 56 Via Oriani

Our journey began with getting our visas at the Eritrean Embassy in London. My ‘Place of Birth’ caused gasps of astonishment – how on earth was I born there? This was my first experience of the warmth and generosity of the Eritrean people.

How was I born there? My father was a doctor in the British army and was posted there for three years from 1949 to 1952 when the British had taken over Eritrea as a protectorate just before the federation of Eritrea with Ethiopia. The British were one of many who had occupied Eritrea and made a mark on the country – from the Egyptians to the Arabs, Turks, Italians and latterly the Ethiopians.

Our mission was to find my place of birth, where we lived and the church where I was christened. We dug out an old family album and found pictures of the house, garden and its address, together with a record of my baptism.

Bunny's house Asmara 1950 with her mother and elder sister
Bunny's house Asmara 1950 with her mother and elder sister
Bunny's house today
Bunny's house today

As with everything in Eritrea – the house and garden in Asmara were recognisable, but dilapidated. My parents lived there at a time when the Italians had built up the country – beautiful buildings, railway line to the coast, 112km road to the coast (which took just six months to build and drops 2,350m down to Massawa on the Red Sea), and a cable car for transporting goods to and from Massawa. There were successful farms, vineyards and over 600 factories – all now gone and only remembered by the elderly.

Studying hieroglyphics on old stone en route to Keren
Studying hieroglyphics on old stone en route to Keren
On the road to Keren in the highlands
On the road to Keren in the highlands

Our guide, Pietros Sebhat, was one of these people. He spoke fluent Italian, knew all the history and had many contacts. One of these led to us visiting the old British Military Hospital where I was born. Now the Asmara Inail Hospital, it has been totally renovated with Italian backing. It has 70 beds and four state-of-the-art operating theatres - all fully equipped. We were told the maternity ward was now probably one of the operating theatres – it’s a strange feeling to be in the room where you were born.

Vegetable market Keren
Vegetable market Keren
Meeting a camel while walking to Adullis archeological site
Meeting a camel while walking to Adullis archeological site

Our guide had told us of many instances where money had been poured into the country – a new freeport in Massawa, fish processing factory on the coast, storage facilities – all beautiful and new but unused and deteriorating. We hope the hospital will not fall into this category.

It was quite difficult to find All Souls Church where I was christened. We asked nuns and Franciscan friars and ended up getting the information from Alisdair Walker, the British Ambassador. He had an old file showing that All Souls Church no longer existed but indicated the location of the replacement church, St Georges, built on the original site.

Site of Battle of Keren 1941
Site of Battle of Keren 1941
Frangipanis at Italian War Cemetry Keren
Frangipanis at Italian War Cemetry Keren

We also travelled to another two cities; Keren in the highlands to see a pastoral centre and to understand the decisive battle fought between the Italians and the British in 1941 and Massawa on the coast. This is where my parents would take the four-hour train ride down to the sea for holidays.

Governors Palace Massawa 1950
Governors Palace Massawa 1950
Governors Palace today
Governors Palace today

The Governor’s Palace there, requisitioned as the Officers Mess, where they may have stayed is a now blown apart – forlorn with rusted ceiling fans telling of times gone past. This was shelled in the battle of independence as it had been Haile Selassie’s summer residence during the federation between Eritrea and Ethiopia.

How I wished I could go home and speak to my parents about all this. How it was for them and to hear how much they must have loved it. This feeling of deep regret and sadness tinged my time in the country – but I still loved it. It is beautiful and the people are warm and giving.

Eritrean guide at Adulis
Eritrean guide at Adulis
6C church Adulis
6C church Adulis

Would we go back? The cycle ride down the stunning 112km road, or railway line, which drops down the escarpment from Asmara to Massawa would be tempting. The Axumite history (of which there are a few sites, notably in Adulis), is fascinating. The scenery is stunning along with the wildlife and flowers to be found.

Door detail Governors Palace Massawa
Door detail Governors Palace Massawa
Banco di Roma Massawa
Banco di Roma Massawa

It’s probably not the easiest place to visit – the first travel agent we approached stated it was too soon to travel there. You need to be adventurous and happy without hot water or internet access. But it was amazing, sad, beautiful, African and European all mixed into one – a total paradox. The hotels are clean, the people wonderful, the architecture still amazing in its faded glory and the Italian cuisine and coffee exceptional.

I love the land of my birth – go there if you are adventurous.

Filed under: East Africa Travel

Tagged with:

Adventure Travel , Eritrea , Ethiopia , travel blog , Travel East Africa

About: Bunny Farnell-Watson

Bunny Farnell Watson, loving sister-in-law to Nicky Fitzgerald, resides in the UK. Avid traveler, biker and hiker around the world, she is also a super fan of Angama Mara and returns to Angama every February with her family in the Mara. Bunny was born in Eritrea, a fact of she is enormously proud and always refers to herself as proudly African. She lived in South Africa for many years and feels as much at home on this continent as she does in England.

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Join the Conversation (4 comments)

Comments (4):

Ted Mott

13 September 2020

Beautifully presented - heartfelt - marvelous thing to do - to find one's roots, to reconnect, to admire. A lovely capsule. Thank you.

    Kate Fitzgerald Boyd

    14 September 2020

    Thank you so much for this lovely comment Ted - we could not agree more

Gina and Chris Grubb

5 August 2020

Lovely heartfelt story and certainly inspires a visit! Thanks.

    Kate Fitzgerald Boyd

    7 August 2020

    We are so pleased you enjoyed it Gina

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