Sanaa, Yemen - The Magic City

Arriving at dawn on a bizarre overnight flight from exotic Eritrea via mysterious Sudan was suitably surreal for this magic city. My first view of Sanaa, from the airport to a guesthouse in the enchanted Old Town was one of the greatest 'wow' moments of my travels. The unique yemeni architecture like a vision from a dream. The khat chewing red-eyed men with big knives in their belts shouting 'welcome' the perfect soundtrack.

Asmara, Eritrea - Italian 1930's Architecture

One thing I definitely wasn't expecting to find in a little known East African country like Eritrea was lots of beautiful italian 1930's architecture. Eritrea was invaded by Italy, and Mussolini between 1935-1941 sent his most experimental architects to make the capital Asmara a showcase of modernity and style for his new 'empire'. Being a big fan of architecture myself I was amazed by the fantastic Futurist, Modernist and Art Deco buildings throughout this unique city.