Massawa is a second big town of Eritrea and busy sea port… After insect-free Asmara welcome back to the mosquito country! I got a room with bath for 200 Nakfa (like 8 USD) in Corallo Hotel. If you want to stay in that hotel bring your mosquito net with you! There is tourist office but they have not any map of their town… So let you know: the town is located on the mainland (bus terminal and new quarters are here) and also on two islands connected by causeways. Acceptable hotels (5) are on the first island. The harbor and the old town – on the second one. In the guidebooks they write about the highlights: the port and diving. Let you know what I am thinking now: the best of Massawa is its old town with partly-ruined houses, old mosques and suq. It reminds me Zanzibar. But in Massawa you will met much more friendly people, it was great pleasure to stroll around the alleys – again as the only tourist in town – and to enjoy the atmosphere of the Old Orient. Eritrea is poor, ruined by war, has no resources. Nobody thinks about restauration of Old Massawa. It just remains the dirty jewel of the Red Sea…
