The beer was founded in 1903 during the German colonial times. The area was part of a German leased territory from 1898 until 1914 (with the outbreak of the First World War the Japanese swiftly occupied the territory).

Apart from the beer, the German heritage is evident in the architecture of many buildings. In the old town you fill at some points as if you are walking through a Southern German town, only that all signs are in Chinese. I thought that the city has done a reasonably well job at preserving its heritage and while I haven’t visited any other Chinese cities, I am sure it feels unique.

Below are some impressions of our walk around town:

The former Governor’s Palace was consequently used as guest house for many statesmen

Cute little houses around the historic district

The St. Michael’s Cathedral

The St. Michael’s Cathedral (or Zhejian Road Catholic Church) was constructed in 1934 after the areas was again returned to Chinese control.

Inside the St. Michael’s Cathedral

View from the beach towards the shore

The buildings along the shore remind me of some towns in Northern Germany – and so did the weather!

Just as a comparison, this is what the Central Business District of Qingdao looks like (pictured is the May 4th monument):

QIngdao Central Business District

Quite a contrast, isn’t it!

Similar to my weekend in Eritrea, I was faced with some expiring miles. Turkish Airlines was running a promotion at the time, and I ended up booking a return business class flight to Baghdad for 50k miles. Over the next couple of weeks I spent quite some time reading up on the current situation in the country and went through several trip reports of travelers who had recently visited.

While most embassies discourage non-essential travel to Iraq, the country started issuing hassle-free visa on arrival to tourists in 2021. The security situation seems to have improved over the past years and cannot be compared anymore to the previous decade.

I’ve had Iraq on my list for some time. Kurdistan in northern Iraq has been accessible to travelers for quite some time and for the past year or so the number of visitors to Federal Iraq (i.e. Baghdad, Basra etc) has increased as well. One point which has kept me from visiting is the fact that a travel history to Iraq makes you ineligible for ESTA when traveling to the USA. While that might have changed recently (conflicting info online), I got myself a visa for the USA last year.

Air connectivity to Iraq has improved and Turkish Airlines along nowadays flies direct from Istanbul to Erbil, Sulaymaniyah, Kirkuk, Baghdad and Basra.

I arrived on one of the up to three daily flights from Istanbul (IST) – there are also two daily flights from Istanbul’s Sabiha Gökcen Airport. It is a brutal red-eye, departing at 2am and arriving just before 5am.

The visa-on-arrival is really straight forward. There’s a small desk in the immigration area where you deposit your passport and fill out a form. They wait for all passengers from the same flight and then proceed with the passports to their office. We ended up waiting around 45mins. Alongside myself there were some businessmen from Europe, a bunch of archeologists from Austria and a Scottish YouTuber. Once they return with the passports, they call your name and you hand over 77 USD in cash. Unlike other countries, you don’t pay at a separate bank counter but rather just hand over cash to the immigration official. No receipts are handed out. I then proceeded through immigration without any issues.

Getting from the airport to the city is a bit unusual compared to other countries. I guess still because of the security situation, the general public is not allowed to drive to the airport and instead only minivans from/to Abbas Ibn Firnas Square (name after the 9th century inventory who is said to have experimented with flight) can drive to the airport. And a single taxi company, AlMumayaz. They charge 50k Iraqi Dinar (IQD), the equivalent of 33 EUR to anywhere in the city. The Scottish YouTuber had already booked a taxi and kindly let me ride into the city with him. By the time I was in the hotel, it was shortly after 7am and my hotel (Noor Land Hotel) kindly let me check-in so I could catch some sleep.

I arrived on a Friday and hence prayer day. I read on several blogs that Old Baghdad would be busiest on a Fridays. Unfortunately it was almost deserted. I later found out that the night prior was the start of a religious holiday (I’m guessing Lailat al Miraj; Prophet’s Ascension) and hence most people stayed home.

The old town is easily walkable and includes sights such as Al-Mutanabbi Street, Shabandar Café, Qishleh Clock, Safafeer Market, Mustansiriya Madrasah, Baghdadi Museum and the Abbasid Palace.

Mutanabbi Street (شارع المتنبي) is a street lined with bookstores, both indoors and outdoors. It is considered the center of the Baghdad literacy and intellectual community. On my first day it was really quiet but I returned again on Saturday and it was thriving.

In the surrounding area you get a feel for what the vibe must have been decades ago. Many buildings are in decay though unfortunately.

I stopped for tea at Mdalal Cafe, a traditional tea house. Here I experience something I would encounter again several times: the waiter refused payment. One of the rare places on earth where tourists are still so exotic, that they are invited for drinks. (regularly, a tea would cost around 500 IQD (35 cents).

I stopped for grape juice on Al Rasheed Street at Hajji Zabala (عصير حجي زبالة), where again they wouldn’t let me pay.

Close by is also the Mustansiriyah Madrasah, a university dating back to the 13th century. Unfortunately it was closed when I was there.

Also worth a visit is the Safafeer Copper market. The number of true coppersmith seems to be dwindling but nevertheless the alley has a very unique and authentic feel and smell.

Also within walking distance is the The Church of the Holy Mother of God, an Armenian church. There is an estimated 10’000 to 13’000 Armenians in Iraq, half of which are said to be in Baghdad. It used to be a much higher number but after the fall of Saddam Hussein, the community had come increasingly under attack.

There are several Catholic churches in downtown Baghdad as well. Here’s the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (كنيسة قلب يسوع الأقدس) which I walked past.

At some point it was time for lunch and I took a Careem (the Middle Eastern version of Uber) back towards my hotel and enjoyed some food at Kibbeh Al-Baghdadi Restaurant.

They don’t have a menu and only serve one dish: Kuba. Iraqi Kuba or Kibbeh are rice and potato balls filled with mince meat. I give it a five star rating.

I spent the afternoon catching up on sleep and wandering around the neighborhood I was staying in, Karada. An upscale neighborhood, my hotel was next to the local BMW dealership and several Western fashion stores like Calvin Klein.

I stopped by a co-working space called The Station. It could have been in Dubai or even somewhere in Europe with a young crowd working relentlessly on their laptops.

For dinner I followed the recommendation of many previous travelers and headed to Darbunah. You can tell someone has poured a lot of love into the place. It is located in a lovely building and serves most of the traditional Iraqi dishes (I found the cuisine to be quite similar to Turkish food).

I started the second day with a run along the Tigris river. It was the only time I didn’t feel entirely safe; on one hand because of the traffic (runners are not exactly a common sight in Baghdad for drivers) and on the other hand because of stray dogs who apparently aren’t very runner friendly either.

I then hailed a cab from the street and using my friend Google Translate managed to tell the driver that I wanted to head to Taq Kasra (إيوان كسرى), about 45mins south. We quickly settled on 40k IQD (26 EUR) and started driving south.

Taq Kasra is a 6th century Persian monument and is the only remaining visible remnant of Ctesiphon, a former royal capital. Unfortunately it is currently closed for restoration (I thought I had done my homework but it shows that Iraqi tourist resources are not that vast online). But it wouldn’t be Iraq if the security guard didn’t tell us how we could walk around the fence and get a picture from the other side.

By the way, the archway is the second largest single-span vault of unreinforced brickwork in the world.

From there we drove back towards Baghdad and got caught in a bad traffic jam on the highway. Due to construction work, the three lane highway was reduced to a single lane. That didn’t seem to bother Iraqis too much and the two lanes where just moved by a few meters to the right by driving through the actual desert.

I asked the driver to drop me off at the Al-Shaheed Monument (Martyr’s Monument; نصب الشهيد). Built in 1983, it was one of Saddam’s projects to show off his power and was meant to commemorate soldiers who fell during the eight-year Iran-Iraq war. Its significance has since expanded to include all Iraqi martyrs. Quite an impressive sight as you approach it.

It was time for lunch and I ended up going for some falafel in a random hole in the wall which was well frequented. A decent meal for 1’000 IQD (60 cents):

Before dinner I walked past a liquor store (there are quite few of them). I was surprised by the broad assortment of European beers but decided to try a local Iraqi beer; Maxi Beer. It comes as 5%, 8% or 10% version; I wasn’t feeling too adventurous and gave the 5% version a try. Nothing to write home about.

For dinner I headed to Dijlah Village, a recently opened shopping mall right by the Tigris river. It really could have been in Dubai with affluent Iraqi families enjoying a weekend night out in of the the mall’s upscale restaurants.

And with that, my time in Baghdad was coming to an end. I ordered a taxi in the late evening to bring me back to the airport. There are several security checks with your luggage getting sniffed by dogs twice before you enter the terminal building. Once inside, it is an airport experience just like another other and shortly after 2am I was back in the air, headed to Istanbul.

So what is my conclusion from my slightly unusual weekend destination? A fascinating city which must be the gateway to an even more fascinating country. There are many sights of historical and religious importance that I have yet to see. The tourist numbers are still so low that you get to visit these sites with a very authentic feel and without hordes of tourists (yet). At the same time, the tourist infrastructure of course doesn’t really exist yet.

I really hope the country continues on the same, somewhat promising, trajectory towards benefiting from its natural resources and letting the general population prosper from it.

Fast forward to June and gradually the tourism industry has started to recovery (slowly). Domestic tourism all of a sudden has gained popularity again. On one hand because travelers feel safer in their own country but on the other hand also because rules and regulations on international travel had gotten so difficult to keep track off. Why book a trip now, if you don’t know what the entry regulations will be in a month from now or requirements to quarantine upon your return.

I had been following news regularly and after two trips to Germany from Switzerland, was ready for my first trip outside Schengen. Ukraine had recently opened up again. After researching government websites (in Ukrainian), it finally looked like Swiss residents were on the “green” list and could enter without problems. But the amount of time one has to invest to figure out what is really the case, will mean tourism will continue to be slow as not everyone is inclined to invest so much time on research. Just a few days before my departure, the Ukraine had put up a neat website summarizing all the information of the various involved state agencies.

Kyiv’s Boryspil International Airport was my destination and was eerily quiet upon my arrival on a Friday afternoon. Thanks to ride-hailing apps I was off to my AirBnB near the Independence Square very quickly. By now I usually prefer a (semi)-professional AirBnB apartment over a hotel – wider choice on location and no endless hallways to walk down.

Upon recommendation of a friend I had tried to book a Chernobyl Tour. But one downside to barely seeing any tourists in the city is that I also appeared the only one interested in such a tour hence it did not happen.

The city center is easily walkable. The Independence Square (Maidan Nezalezhnosti), which you might remember from 2014’s deadly protests which eventually toppled the government, was the start of my afternoon tour exploring the center.

Not far away is Lyuteranska Street which has been renamed numerous times over the past century.

After a short walk I reached Mariyinsky Palace, the ceremonial residence of the president.

Just behind it is a large park which also houses the Dynamo Kyiv football stadium and offers great view across the Dnieper River.

Around the corner is the Friendship of Nations Monument. It was constructed in the 1980s in honor of the 60th birthday of the USSR and remains a controversial symbol today of Ukraine’s troubled relationship with Russia.

Not much further is St. Michael’s Monastery, a still very much active monastery. It was constructed in the centuries leading up to the 18th century and partially destroyed by the Soviets but rebuilt following Ukrainian independence.

If you’re up for some more golden domes, just walk up the road to St. Sophia’s Cathedral, Ukraine’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was named after Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia and while construction started in the 11th century, it took several centuries to complete.

After getting some rest, I continued my pleasant walk and eventually reached St Andrew’s Church. It apparently has no bells because legend has it that its noise would cause the left side of the city to flood.

A bit further I reached the Square of Contracts, an important part of the Podil merchant neighborhood.

That was enough walking for the day and I took the subway to Hydropark to spend the rest of the afternoon at Hydropark, a recreational island with lots of public beaches and restaurants. It was a perfect July afternoon with not a cloud in the sky and crowds getting ready for the weekend.

My dinner destination that night was the Podil neighborhood at the lovely Тісто, сир і тітка Белла restaurant specializing in Italian cuisines (I was caught off guard when every employee greeted me with “buona sera”).

The next day I made sure to visit the mighty Motherland Monument, a 62m tall stainless steel statue looking across the river. Just for scale, the sword is 16m tall. While Ukraine has been trying to get rid of Soviet symbols and statues, despite a decision to remove the Soviet emblem on the shield of the statue, it is still there and visible.

The statue is part of the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War complex which also contains sculptures depicting the Ukrainian people’s fight against the Nazi invasion.

After lunch I visited the Besarabsky Market, an indoor market housed in the building dating back to 1910. It was eerily quiet, maybe because the time of day but maybe also because it might have become a bit touristy and tourists simply were not around.

It was quite hot once again and time to head to the beach and cool off. I walked across the pedestrian bridge to Trukhanov Island, another very nice beach right in the center (or at least almost) of the city.

If you’re on Kyiv during a weekend, make sure to stroll up and down Khreshchatyk during the evening to soak in the atmopshere of families out and about.

And with that my weekend in Kyiv was almost over again already. A city that is truly worth a visit and I wish I had more time to make this a start of a tour around Ukraine as there seems to be so much more to discover.

Back in July 2019 I was casually browsing the web when I stumbled upon an incredible air fare to Madeira. You know, one of those offers where you actually feel kind of guilty for it being so cheap but at the same time you pull the trigger because even if you can’t make the trip, the sunk costs are not that high. Fast forward to about nine months later and I found myself at the airport ready to board the four hours flight to Funchal on Madeira. After an uneventful flight I found myself at the island’s only airport and once again was thankful for Schengen and its lack of border controls as I was on the road with a rental car just 20 minutes after leaving the plane.

I had opted for an AirBnB right in the city center, a good choice in hindsight. While parking can be difficult (or expensive), having been there off-season, it was nice to be able to choose from a variety of restaurants.

Funchal is the island’s capital and only proper city. The mild climate in winter months draws many visitors and the well-kept historic city center together with the seafront make for some beautiful walks. As the city (and the entire island) is very hilly, there’s a famous cable car that will take you for an obnoxious fee up to the botanic gardens.

As Madeira is famous for its landscape and has attracted lots of trail runners over the past years, that ended up as the main draw for my visit. Each morning I’d use the WikiLoc app to find a trail run in a different part of the island, run for a while and then find a good spot for lunch before heading back to the city for an afternoon stroll, sunset drinks and dinner.

The first day took me to the Northeastern part of the island. Setting off in the village of Porto da Cruz, a beautiful trial took me along the cost to Boca do Risco without a soul in sight. Ah, the joys of traveling off-season.

Porto da Cruz has a nice couple of beachfront restaurants where I enjoyed the island’s signature dish, espada com banana (scabbard fish with banana).

From there it was a short drive to Ponta de São Lourenço where I met up with friends to walk around the Eastern tip of the island which hosts a nature reserve.

The second day took me to the Southwestern part of the island, to 600 meters above sea level at a village called Prazeres. The island’s roads are in a remarkable condition and while the hilly terrain does not make it easy to construct roads, there must have been a lot of investment including tunnels.

On the way back I stopped at the Cabo Girão Skywalk, a glass platform where you get a view straight down to the ocean. One of the few places where I met other tourists during the weekend.

After two relaxing days with lots of sunshine it was time to head back. I guess I got quite lucky with the weather considering the time of the year. But at the same time, I visited at the time when the island is about as empty as it can get. Apparently it gets quite busy from spring onwards. While you can escape to the countless trails in the countryside for hiking, I can imagine it won’t be as pleasant in the cities and villages when it gets busy.

The EU’s smallest country by population with just below half a million, Malta, has a unique history due to its location. Over the centuries it has been governed by all kinds of foreign invaders. Romans, Goths, Arabs, Normans, Brits and many others all left their mark on the island nation one way or another, leaving it with a fascinating mix of culture, architecture and language.

The main island of Malta is easily accessible from many European cities with direct flights. Being a member of the Schengen area means you’re out of the airport in no time. Using the local ride-hailing app Cool we were in downtown Valletta within an hour of touchdown for just 11 EUR.

There are a couple of options where to base yourself. Keep in mind, we visited in January with temperatures ranging between 7 and 20 degrees Celsius, so beach was not really an option. Also, the island is so small that there’s no point really in road-tripping but rather rent a car or just use the easy-to-use public buses. We opted for the capital city of Valletta. Great for city exploring in colder winter months but maybe less so during hot summer months?

On our first day we drove over to Mdina, just 20 minutes away. The fortified city used to be Malta’s capital for several centuries. Apparently still 300 people live here. While we were mostly by ourselves, I don’t want to imagine what Mdina looks like in peak tourist season.

Mdina is next to the town of Rabbat (“suburb”) which was much more lively. In one square actually very lively as the Socialist Party had elections for their new leader that day after the Prime Minister had announced his resignation.

We again ordered a car and drove towards what is known as the “Three Cities”, Birgu, Senglea and Cospicua. They are situated just opposite the bay of Valletta, from where they can easily be reached by ferry. The sun was out, it was 15 degrees in January, what more could you ask for? We wandered around Senglea, had lunch and then decided to head back to Valletta to relax for a while.

The ferry is just a short ride across the bay. Back in Valletta it stops very close to the elevator that takes you up to the Upper Barrakka Gardens from where you have a beautiful view across the bay towards the Three Cities.

We had a drink at a quirky bar called Gugar Hangout before having dinner at one of Malta’s finer restaurants, The Harbour Club. We were the only guests for the entire evening, a clear sign that January is the lowest of low seasons in Malta.

We had another half day of Sunday, which just happened to be the big weekly market day in a fisherman’s village, Marsaxlokk Open Market. There are very regular direct busses from Valletta’s bus station to the market and within around 20 minutes we were there. We expected a market with lots of local produce. While there were lots of local people, it was mostly cheap fashion from China with a few local produce stalls thrown in between. While the village is cute, we probably would not return just for this market.

Sunday around noon we had to head back to the airport (again it was easy to catch a local bus) for our flight back home.

We really liked Malta. There is lots more to discover, an island with its very own distinct vibe, culture and language. And when days are rainy and cold in Northern Europe, it might just be a place not too far away to catch some sun.

Not impressed by social media but rather driven by my curiosity in a country that has not only not depended on tourism but actively prevented it, I took up an opportunity to visit. KSA is a country that doesn’t necessarily enjoy a good reputation abroad. Most of the public perception (at least in Europe) is driven by topics such as human rights issues, the dependency on oil, gender inequality and military intervention in the region. While Saudis are free to travel abroad, interaction in Europe is seldom and generally construed by skepticism.

Applying for a visa was very straightforward. Fill out an online application, pay the fee and you’re good to go. The only challenge was that the required photo had to be 200 by 200 pixels. Not 198 by 202 pixels. I was approved within an hour. The check-in agent didn’t seem to have seen many tourist visas before but after a bit of typing, I was allowed to board.

I arrived at the shiny new Terminal 1 in Jeddah. The airport opens in phases and is breathtakingly beautiful. I thought it was interesting that without exception, all immigration officials were female. No questions asked and I was stamped into the country, accompanied by a friendly “Welcome to Saudi”.

Jeddah is KSA’s commercial center and second-largest city with a population of around four million. It’s location at the Red Sea and vicinity to the Holy City of Mecca means it has a history of centuries with traders and pilgrims. It is considered to be one of the more open-minded cities in the Kingdom.

What I quickly learned when researching accommodation was how vast the city is. At least by my standards, I could not make out a “city center” (apart from the historic city center). And orientating myself by the public transportation grid was not an option because… there is no public transportation. The city of four million seems to have a grand total of nine bus lines. So yea, you’ll need a car or rely on ride-hailing apps (which is what I did).

Due to Jeddah’s location by the Red Sea, the city boasts a sprawling beach road. Both in the mornings and evenings, locals enjoy cycling, walking or hanging out at the countless coffee shops or restaurants. I also had the impression this was the area to see or be seen and show off your car or motorcycle. Overall I’d say around every fifth car was driven by a woman. The city did a nice job developing this part of town.

The highlight of Jeddah from a tourist’s perspective is most likely “Al-Balad” (“the town”), the city’s historic center. Granted UNESCO World Heritage status in 2014, Al-Balad was somewhat abandoned and neglected once the oil boom kicked in. Saudis moved to other parts of town with wider roads for bigger cars. Slowly, the decaying houses are being renovated and prepared as a tourist attraction.

Wandering aimlessly through the alleys is fascinating and reminiscent of a totally different era compared to today’s oil-fueled Saudi economy.

In fact, Al-Balad is so picturesque, it has already attracted its fair share of Instagram-people. By fair share I mean I came across three European ladies posing extensively for the ‘Gram.

I continued towards Sharafiyah, Jeddah’s Little India. While I did get superb Chicken Biryani at a Pakistani restaurant, the area was otherwise not too exciting. Maybe I was just there at the wrong time.

While it was a very short stay in the Kingdom, it was interesting to get a first hand impression. I encountered Saudi people to be very friendly. Contrary to my experience in other Gulf states, all ride-sharing drivers were locals. All inquired where I was from and welcomed me to their country.

But the country is still far from becoming a tourist hotspot, at least for Western travelers. While there are numerous spots worth visiting in terms of nature and historic sights, while concerning news keep emerging KSA, I could imagine tourist arrivals won’t skyrocket in the short term.

We stayed at the edge of the newer part of town, a few minutes from the Sassi. It takes a bit of time to get a sense of orientation as the Sassi slopes downwards from the newer city center.

It is very unique place to wander around and get lost in the countless steps and stairs around the Sassi.

To get up to speed on the history of Matera, make sure to visit the Casa Noha for a very well made documentary.

You can still visit some of the caves and see for yourself in what conditions people lived in Matera right into the 20th century:

While we were in Matera there was a large Salvador Dalí exhibition inside the Madonna delle Virtù church:

Matera and the Sassi will be featured in the upcoming James Bond movie “No Time to Die”.

We had yet another very good dinner for the last time on this trip and wrapped up a wonderful 10 days in the region. Matera was conveniently on the way to Napoli, where we departed from. So the next day, we got ready and drove the roughly three hours to Italy’s third largest city. After a lunch stop in Trevico, we made it to the airport for our flight back home.

The Old Town is built ontop of a couple of hills. Wandering through the mostly car-free alleys is fascinating with most buildings being white-washed and in immaculate shape. Every now and then you find a hidden restaurant with gorgeous views towards the Adriatic Sea. And while pretty much all restaurants cater only to tourists, we never felt ripped off. Service was consistently good and value for money as well. No horror stories like you hear from the Italian hotspots of Rome, Venice or Florence.

One morning we followed a beautiful hike nearby that we found online. It took us through the olive tree plantations, which is one of the main industries in the region.

The nearby town of Cisternino is worth a stop as well. We passed by during the quiet lunch hours and felt like we almost had the Centro Storico to ourselves.

Another city that should not be left out on any Puglia itinerary is Martina Franca. Again extremely well preserved, it is a town you should just leave yourself wandering around and get lost in the narrow alleys.

Martina Franca in Taranto Province was our last stop in Puglia as we drove westwards towards Matera in Basilicata with a stop in Mottola (no tourists there!) for lunch.

Italy never had many colonies. You could say they were late to the game compared to their European neighbors, which I guess is a good thing as most countries weren’t necessarily blessed by being colonized and to this day struggle with the arbitrary borders they were forced to accept. But Italy did have a few colonies. During the scramble of Africa in the late 19th century, Italy did grab some land in what was to become known as the Italian Colonial Empire (Impero coloniale italiano). Parts of modern Libya, Somalia and Eritrea were under Italian control. In the case of Eritrea, this lasted from approximately 1890 until just after the Second World War. During the half century under Italian rule, the Italians left their mark with buildings, language, food and a few other aspects.

I’ve had Eritrea on my bucket list for a while but it has not been an easy place to get to. It is not exactly on any tourist trail and has often been called the “North Korea of Africa” due to how secluded it is. It has the world’s worst penetration of internet and probably cell phones as well. The government is often criticized for the human rights situation in the country, with compulsory military service of unknown duration. In short, it is not an inviting place to get to. I contemplated for a while whether I should go, as inevitably some of the money I’d spend there would end up in the governments pockets. In the end I decided to nevertheless go in order to get a first hand impression myself. In turn I avoided going through a tour operator, to avoid spending money with officials as much as possible.

I had read lots of reports online of how notoriously difficult it is to get a visa. Going through a tour operator opens the opportunity for a visa on arrival, but I decided against that option. The Eritrean embassy in my country of residence, Switzerland, did not pick up the phone nor answer to e-mails. So I tried my luck with the embassy in Berlin, Germany. They were surprisingly friendly. I had planned the trip on fairly short notice and not accounted for Orthodox Easter which might have prolonged the approval process somewhat as it had to be sent to Asmara. But after postponing the trip by a week, I eventually got a call that my tourist visa had been granted and a few days later I had my passport back.

After the end of Italian rule, the country entered a difficult couple of decades. It was initially placed under British Administration and was then annexed to Ethiopia which did not go down well. Fast forward to the early 1990s and Eritrea had gone through a guerilla war for independence which culminated in a referendum, where the overwhelming majority voted to leave Ethiopia. Peace did not last long and in the late 1990s, young Eritrea found itself on a border dispute with its larger neighbor which quickly escalated into a full-scale war. While it calmed down in the early 2000s, the two countries never settled the issues and technically remained at war until 2018 when the new Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy made a new peace effort which resulted in a two countries finally putting a peace accord in effect (for which Abiy received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019). It is unclear to what extent this will now open up the country.

My visit coincided with Eritrea’s independence day festivities, so I was looking forward to the festive atmosphere. Flying in from Addis Ababa, this also meant to flight was full. I ended up with an interesting seatmate, a very eclectic American traveling with what appeared to be her entourage. Within five minutes I was bombarded with 100 questions about my trip and life in general and the person just would not shut up. I was eventually told that this was Tiffany Haddish, a half American, half Eritrean comedian and Hollywood actress and probably the most well known Eritrean. I had read about her before my trip so it was quite surreal to all of a sudden be sitting next to her. Considering how famous she is back home, her arrival was met by Eritrean TV and I kept seeing her on TV during my stay.

The airport is small and immigration was a breeze. After changing some US Dollars into Nakfa, the local currency named after the town of the first major battle won in the war for independence (it is pegged to the US Dollar by the way and looks like it a lot), I was out of the airport and hopped into the first taxi. I had not planned a lot for my stay apart from booking a hotel (an expensive phone call!). The driver did not speak any English, but being a bit older he spoke Italian and combined with my Spanish we were able to agree on where I wanted to go.

Asmara is fairly small and I’d say all areas of interest to tourists (I saw a grand total of maybe three people that looked like what I’d consider tourists while I was there) are within walking distance. I stayed at the Crystal Hotel which is in the diplomatic quarter. I started exploring Asmara by heading to Harnet Avenue, the city’s main boulevard where most iconic buildings can be seen.

I also walked past Eritrean Airlines’ flagship sales office. At the time of writing they were flying one wetleased B737-300 once daily to Addis Ababa, that was it.

After some walking it was time to rest at one of the many of Asmara’s cafes and enjoy a makyato, the local adaptation of Italy’s caffè macchiato.

Eritrea’s population is roughly half Christian (Eritrean Orthodox and Roman Catholic) and half Muslim (Sunni). From what I read, the two religions have co-existed peacefully and there is an absence of religious extremism.

The Great Mosque, or Al Kulafah Al Rashidan, was built in 1938 at the order of Mussolini to impress the Muslim population. It was very busy when I visited with the Friday prayer just ending.

Around the corner from the mosque I walked past the Asmara Synagogue constructed in 1906. Eritrea’s Jewish population to a large extent left during the war for independence but not because of prosecution.

And to conclude with religious buildings for now, here’s a photo of Enda Mariam Orthodox Cathedral.

For the record, the postcard arrived in Europe within two weeks.

After a lot of walking, I spent the afternoon in an Eritro-German pub, speaking with some Eritreans who used to live in Germany. They showed me the nearby German school which was inaugurated during a visit of Germany’s president back in 1996. For dinner I went to Restaurant Ghibabo, one of the fancier places in the city which served excellent Italian food.

After having gotten a permit the previous day, I started day 2 with a visit to the tank graveyard where lots of tanks were dumped after the war. A truly unique place and testament of how much money (and steel) can be wasted.

If you visit on graveyard, you should visit another so I stopped by the Cimitero Italiano Di Asmara, another impressive relic from colonial times.

My self-guided walking tour continued towards the Fiat Tagliero Building.

I came across a surprisingly large number of cyclists in Asmara:

It also seemed to have been wedding season as in front of every single church there was a wedding party and a local park was packed with groups waiting for a photo shoot:

After another dinner at Ghibabo, I enjoyed the lively evening atmosphere on Harnet Avenue with live concerts and people enjoying the festivities for independence day.

Unfortunately it was then almost time to head back to the airport for my midnight flight to Istanbul.

I really did not know what to expect, heading into Asmara. I only scratched the surface by visiting the capital briefly. And in these kinds of countries, the capitals can often be in sharp contrast to the rest of the country. There is more to discover. The ancient city of Keren, Massawa on the Red Sea. But you need to bring a lot of time and patience with you. I was free to walk around everywhere and saw a surprisingly little number of police or military personnel in the streets.

Bottom line: do your own research. Asmara comes across as a small Italian city in a time capsule. But it is governed by a regime that has been accused for significant human rights abuses.

After arriving from Alexandria by train, I found myself in large and chaotic Ramses Railway Station. I was glad as I only arrived and did not have to depart from this station as navigating it seems to be quite advanced. Even finding an Uber driver outside proved to be a challenge, so for the first time in a while I rode in a regular taxi. And immediately knew why I’d been prefering ride hailing services. Communication proved to be a massive challenge. Secondly agreeing on a price (the meter is just for decoration purposes) was another challenge. Once we arrived, of course the guy asked for more. And of course he did not have change. Dear taxi drivers of the world: you’re just asking to be disrupted with this kind of attitude.

I had decided to stay in downtown Cairo near Tahrir Square, which was convenient as I could walk to lots of places and the metro was also very accessible.

By a recommendation of a friend, I had dinner the first night in Zamalek, an affluent district on the northern tip of Gezira Island which offers beautiful views across the Nile:

The next day I had my personal highlight on the list: visiting the Giza Necropolis with its pyramids. The three main pyramids are by far the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and the only remaining structure of the seven. They were constructed c. 2580 – c. 2560 BC and reach a height of an incredible 138m. Considering how long ago they were built, it is truly remarkable what humanity was capable of at that point.

I took the subway from Mohamed Naguib to Giza and then a bus towards the pyramids. While I had not really seen any tourists in Cairo up to this point, there were a couple of tour buses at the entrance when I arrived. However the site is so huge, that within a few minutes you are almost by yourself.

As I had already mentioned in my post about Alexandria, Egyptians don’t seem to place a lot of emphasis on ticket booths. Considering this is probably the main tourist attraction of the country, the sign just looks shabby. Is it that difficult to replace the sign if prices changes? What about spell check?

As you enter the gate, it will probably take anywhere between 5 and 30 seconds for the first camel guy to jump at you. There are enough reports online how well these animals are treated and I leave it up to you to do your own due diligence to judge whether you’d be a doing these animals a favor riding them. I kindly declined the offer.

Within a few steps you’ll find yourself at the base of Great Pyramid of Giza, the oldest and largest of the three. It used to be covered in limestone casing stones that formed a smooth outer surface, however that has been removed over the centuries (apparently to build palaces and mosques).

Right behind the Great Pyramid is the Pyramid of Khafre which also includes the Great Sphinx of Giza which is known around the world. Here you can still see the original limestone that used to cover the entire pyramid:

Further behind the Pyramid of Khafre is the third and “smallest” of the trio: the Pyramid of Menkaure.

The vertical gash in the pyramid is due to a 12th century Sultan who decided it would be a good idea to demolish the pyramid. Luckily it proved so expensive that he gave up after eight months.

If you venture further out into the desert, you get a beautiful panorama of the entire Giza pyramid complex. It was around a 20-30mins walk. Of course, a bit less strenuous if going by camel but again you have to decide for yourself whether that is worth it or not.

Next to the Great Pyramid there is also a museum showing an original Khufu ship that was buried for the Pharao to take along into his next life.

After walking around the pyramids under the burning sun for nearly three hours I was exhausted. By the way, there are a few hotels right next to the complex, which might be a good option if you intend to take a break in between visits.

I continued in search for lunch in the adjacent neighborhood. Unfortunately street food doesn’t seem to be much a thing like in other cities. I finally found a falafel place after passing a few markets in Giza.

It was then time to leave Giza and head back to the downtown area. While not that far, it still took the Uber driver close to an hour thanks to the maddening Cairo traffic. I was dropped close to the Museum of Islamic Art, a welcome change to the outside 38 degrees.

Close to the museum is the start of “old” Cairo, an part of the city with lots of narrow alleys to get lost in. And no tourists to be seen.

After wandering around through the alleys for a while, the heat got really exhausting and I retreated back to the hotel for a couple of hours to recharge. While the hotel offered great views over the Nile, the constant noise (Egyptians love to use the horn) can get irritating.

That evening I had dinner at Estoril, an old Cairo institution.

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On my last day I had reserved the morning to visit The Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, one of Egypt’s most visited tourist attractions. Built in 1901, it owns over 120’000 artifacts from throughout Egypt’s history, a sizable portion from ancient Egypt. The most prized and well known possession is probably the Gold Mask of Tutankhamun along with the treasures found in his burial chamber.

The museum is one of those places you should splurge on a guide. Signage is poor, so unless you have a really, really good guide book, you’d miss out on a lot. Guides will find you near the ticket booth and when I visited the official rate (at least that is what I was told) was 300 EGP (16 EUR) per hour. I started with one hour and ended up extended to 2.5 hours. I was surprised how crowded the museum was. Lots of tour groups from Southern Europe (especially Italy) as well as Russians.

The above photo shows the Pyramidion of the Pyramid of Amenemhet III. Pyramidions are the top part of a pyramid and apparently known around 5 of the over 100 pyramids in Egypt have known whereabouts. They tended to be covered in gold to reflect the sunrays.

It is a lot of history to absorb but totally fascinating. It can be overwhelming though, so if you have the time, considering splitting your visit into two.

After lunch it was almost time to head back to the airport. I had heard lots of stories about how long queues tend to get at the airport so allowed plenty of time. It turned out that my flight was off peak and there were no queues anywhere at all!

I’m not sure whether my expectations for Cairo were met. On one hand, the history of Ancient Egypt is nothing short of breathtaking and I hope to return one day and see the other wonders of that era. On the other hand, modern Cairo is very energy consuming. The traffic is some of the worst I have ever seen. Plus I was somewhat disappointed with the lack of food options. Comparing to last year’s visit to Jordan, there were much less street-side options available.