Happy New Year from Asmara!

Well, we're almost back home after a wonderful holiday in Southern Africa. Now we just have to wait around Asmara for a few weeks while we get the various permits that are needed to live, work and travel here. It's a bit of a hassle but it's great to be back!

We almost didn't make it though! The Yemen Airport has got to be the one of the world's worst and if Sanaa wasn't such an incredible city I would discourage anyone from ever going there. On our way through the Sanaa airport to South Africa they couldn't find our passports that they'd held for two days until the last minute. This time through, we almost didn't make the flight because no one told us to board. We were told to sit and wait, and as the time approached our flight departure time we started asking around. We were finally told to hurry onto a bus that took us to another part of the airport where hoards of people were boarding a flight to Bombay. After asking yet again where to go, we we harshly scolded for being so late and rushed through the check in an onto the plane with minutes to spare! But we made it.

It's great to be back in Asmara. The weather is beautiful. The city is beautiful, with it's palm trees and art deco buildings and it feels safe and like home. We're staying in a compound where new volunteers will be placed in a few weeks. The first day there, the family sharing the compound welcomed us with taita and tea. Eritrean hospitality is very nice!

The first weekend back the city was full of goats. Goats being led on ropes, pulled by their ears, strapped onto the rattrap of bicycles, and, our favourite, tied onto cyclist backs, the front legs around the cyclists' knecks and the back legs around their waists! It was Eritrean New Year and everyone needed a goat to slaughter.

We've spent the last week running around applying for various permits and now we have to wait for our first permit before we can do anything else. But we're enjoying our time, visiting with other VSO volunteers who are returning from their , meeting the new volunteers, having plenty of cappucinos and pastries in the cafes, and enjoying the sights of Asmara. Today is Simon's birthday, so we'll take him out for lunch then tomorrow we'll celebrate by bowling with the other VSO volunteers. This is what we did last year and it was so much fun that we'll try again.

Though it takes a while to get resident travel permits, I managed to get a tourist one and so I went for a quick visit to Keren yesterday. We're heading up there Monday with some new VSO volunteers to show them how we live, but I couldn't wait that long before seeing some friends and also checking that our house wasn't flooded after all the heavy rains they had this summer. I had a great visit with Saba and her family. They are all well and it was wonderful to see them again. I also ran into a bunch of the neighbourhood kids who gave me a warm welcome and of course had to check out our gaba tree to see if there was any fruit. Luckily the house stayed dry and except for some dust that had to be cleaned up, it was in good order. The yard is full of grass and weeds as well as some corn that our landlord planted. It has obviously rained a lot and the usually barren hills are all green. This is great news as hopefully there will be plenty of food this year in Eritrea.

I need to run off to meet Simon for his birthday lunch.

Take care,

Barb