Local people ride a wagon on a street in Asmara, Eritrea

It’s been 10 days since I arrived in Eritrea, and during this time, I have been staying at the Midian Hotel in its capital, Asmara. Despite being a hotel, there was no water for shower, so I had to make do with sleeping fully clothed. During the stay of more than 10 days, I spent a total of 14,401 Nakfa, equivalent to about $1,000. Realising that I spent the annual income of an ordinary Eritrean in just 10 days left me with a rather uncomfortable feeling. 

I also checked out several apartments for accommodation. Each of them is quite spacious, with at least two bedrooms and a living room, and most of them are accompanied by a small courtyard. They are villas and better than any apartment I have lived in since I first went abroad in 2011. Currently, I prefer to live in a Korean community, where houses are constructed by Koreans and feature modern amenities and new furniture, similar to apartments in China. They are comfortable to live in, except for the inconvenience duo to water shortages. 

Trying to settle down 

In the past few days, with the help of colleagues from the Confucius Institute in Eritrea, I saw several apartments through real estate agents. These houses are all luxury to me. They keep showing me these perhaps because they consider Chinese people as wealthy. Another reason is the commission they can get, which is equivalent to one month’s rent. The higher the rent, the more they earn. The average monthly rent for these houses is around 10,000 Nakfa, approximately $650, three to five times the local average salary. Although I can get reimbursement for rent, I don’t want to waste taxpayer’s money on rent. One bedroom is enough for me. 

Although I have grown tired of seeing apartments, the agents continue to reach me through various channels every day. There’s a famous one among them, an unattractive person who has even been to prison. I prefer not to see houses with him. I found him to be too persistent. One day, a stranger came to my hotel, asking about my satisfaction with the hotel. Thinking it was a hotel satisfaction survey as the front desk had told me it was the manager looking for me, I provided some suggestions. When I became relaxed, the person revealed he has a house in the city centre and offered to show it to me. With nothing else to do, I agreed, only to discover when the car door opened that the driver was the same real estate agent I had tried to avoid. Then I realised he was playing tricks.  

Since I am staying in a hotel and haven’t finalised my accommodation, I haven’t bought a bicycle yet. Obtaining a SIM card will also take one to two months because I need a residence permit first. Therefore, I haven’t explored the city much. Overall, the city feels clean, spacious, worn-out, and low-rise, resembling a large county town in China. There are many tropical plants, but the city appears dusty due to water scarcity. It’s a city without rivers. The roads are paved with asphalt without signs or traffic lights. There are no traffic jams, and people on roads are courteous. Horse-drawn carts are frequently seen on the roads. 

Work is about to start, and I am responsible for classes at two local schools scheduled on weekends, covering language, calligraphy, and martial arts. I need a bicycle to commute between the two locations. The day before, we visited a local school to discuss the commencement of classes with the school’s management. The school is located on a barren hillside with no proper roads inside. However, you can walk anywhere without worrying about stepping on grass. After leaving the office, our dean and head of the school stopped in front of a shed to continue their discussion. I took the opportunity to take a photo to record how such an important matter was being discussed in such a place. The campus reminded me of the hard times we had back in China, when students had classes on hillsides. 

A view of the Midian Hotel in Asmara, Eritrea

Simple and comfortable life 

I don’t feel like I am in Africa when I’m in Eritrea. The typical African images an average Chinese associates Africa - lions, steppes, deserts, the Nile River, the Tazara Railway and Mount Kilimanjaro - are nowhere to be seen.  

Eritrea is one of the least-developed countries. But for someone like me who is used to hardships, having food, clothes, and shelter means a life of happiness. Witnessing the simple and happy life of the Eritrean people, I feel there is nothing wrong with this place. Especially, the climate here is extraordinary - not too hot or too cold, with no need to worry about what clothes to wear or keep thick clothes in my closet. The air is fresh, with blue skies and white clouds every day. It’s so beautiful that you can easily capture a postcard-worthy photo with a click. 

It’s worth mentioning that although Eritrea is not rich, when Wenchuan in Sichuan Province of China was seriously hit by an earthquake in 2008, they donated $50,000. An underdeveloped yet generous country deserves our respect. 

Eritrea also enjoys very advantageous geographical location. Situated at the northeastern tip of Africa, next to the gateway to the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean, it is truly a maritime country. It faces Saudi Arabia and Yemen across the sea, and its neighbours to the south are Ethiopia and Djibouti. The land area is approximately 124,000 square km, with a population of about 6.7 million. In terms of land area, it ranks 96th in the world, and in population, it ranks 130th globally. 

The country’s natural resources are also quite abundant. The Asmara polymetallic mine, invested by China, is currently the largest joint venture between China and Eritrea, with proven reserves of over 90 million tonnes of copper, zinc and other ores. With a 1,200-km coastline, the country has only three harbours for docking cargo ships. Fishing resources are incredibly rich but are mostly left in their natural state. If its resources can be tapped into reasonably and effectively, Eritrea would be much stronger than it is now. It should have no problem joining the ranks of middle-income countries. Therefore, I look forward to a better future for Eritrea.  

The author is a teacher of Confucius Institute in Eritrea.