Keren Camel Market, Eritrea
November 2001.
Habte: "If you have any problem buying a camel here maybe we can come to an arrangement."
Backwards7: "I'm not here to buy."
Habte: "Maybe if you are travelling to Teseney or The Sudan, you need a camel."
Backwards7: "I'm travelling to Nakfa, if there's a bus."
Habte: "Okay." dismissive gesture
Backwards7: "Which ones are your Camels?"
Habte: either distracted by something or ignoring me
Backwards7: "Where are your camels?"
Habte: "They are coming from Assab on foot. Maybe they are going to be here next week."
Backwards7: "How many camels?"
Habte: "About 40...but I do not like the price here. We bought them expensive and the journey takes a lot of expense. We have about 7 or 8 people which are responsible for about five camels each."
(shorthand gets a little hard to read here)
Backwards7: "It's a long journey."
Habte: "They left on the 1st October."
Habte: "On the journey they have no food or water."
Backwards7: "The people have no food or water!?"
Habte: translates what I have just said to some of the other camel traders. Laughter
Habte: "The people have food but there is no food for the camels"
more laughter
Backwards7: "Is it true that it takes five days on the bus from Asmara to Assab?"
Habte: "Yes. It's a bad journey. It's better to fly."
Backwards7: "What will you do if you can't sell your camels here?"
Habte: "I will stay here maybe a week or take them to The Sudan. Maybe in two weeks after they take rest."
