getting lost in asmara: eritrea's art deco secret
okay, so i landed in asmara and immediately felt like i'd slipped through a time warp. this city-it's like somebody froze 1930s italy, sprinkled in some african soul, and said, "here, figure it out." the weather was a balmy 28.4°C, but felt more like 29.57°C because the sun here doesn't mess around. i just checked and it's still sitting around there right now, hope you like that kind of thing if you're planning a visit.
first thing i noticed? the architecture. everywhere you look, there's art deco buildings with curved balconies, porthole windows, and pastel facades that look like they belong in miami, not east africa. i wandered down harnet avenue and nearly tripped over my own feet staring up at the fiat tagliero service station-this wild building shaped like an airplane that locals just call "the aerodrome." someone told me that the architect designed it without a single straight line, and i believe it.
food-wise, i got dragged by a local to a hole-in-the-wall called al sultan. no website, no yelp page, just word of mouth. best fuul i've ever had-creamy fava beans with chili, olive oil, and bread so fresh it was practically still breathing. i heard that some tourists get food poisoning here, but i think that's just people being dramatic. or maybe i got lucky. who knows.
if you get bored, keren and massawa are just a short drive away, though "short" in eritrea might mean five hours of winding mountain roads. totally worth it for the views, though. also, the coffee here? don't even get me started. i paid like 50 cents for a cup that could wake the dead. no americano nonsense-just pure, strong, espresso magic.
random tip: bring cash. like, all the cash. credit cards are basically decorative here. and don't expect speedy service anywhere-eritrea runs on its own clock, and it's usually about 20 minutes behind whatever you're used to.
i kept hearing rumors about the nightlife being either "dead" or "wild depending on who you ask." turns out it's both. one night i ended up in a tiny bar where the dj was playing ethiopian jazz on a laptop from 2007, and people were dancing like nobody was filming. felt like an underground scene from a movie that hasn't been made yet.
the people here are something else. super friendly, but also super curious-expect to be asked where you're from about seventeen times a day. and don't be surprised if someone invites you to their home for dinner after knowing you for ten minutes. it's just how they roll.
anyway, here's a map so you don't end up as lost as i did on day one:
and because i'm a sucker for good visuals, here are a couple of unsplash shots that actually do the city justice:
would i go back? in a heartbeat. just maybe with more cash and less expectation of things running on time. asmara's not for everyone, but if you're into architecture, history, and feeling like you've discovered something most people haven't even heard of, it's perfect.
for more on eritrea, check out lonely planet's guide or this deep dive on african art deco from atlas obscura.
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