ASMARA, Eritrea 2004: Climbing through the rugged mountains that shielded a rebel force during 30 years of war is one symbol of Eritrea’s rebirth: a spectacular railroad from the Red Sea coast to this capital city 2,394 meters above sea level. With enthusiastic support from the new country’s president, old railroaders were called back to work in 1995, two decades after the track was shut down by war with Ethiopia and stripped bare of rails and other hardware. Eritreans patriotically gathered old rail and other equipment that had been used as battle barricades and even housing. Forswearing foreign aid or any foreign expertise, buying no new track or equipment other than bolts and screws, Eritreans themselves completed the rebuilding job in 2003. The railroad became a cherished symbol of the nation’s principle of self-reliance. It was featured on the new 10 Nakfa bill in 2003 and in a series of postage stamps. A group of about 30 visitors from Germany, England, Spain and the United States chartered the railroad for a week in January. In the group were several locomotive drivers who were allowed to operate the engines. The steep coastal mountains are rugged and beautiful. There seem to be only two directions from the Red Sea to the capital: up and down. The railroad clings to mountainsides and constantly climbs on its twisting path from the sea to a summit that is almost within the Asmara city limits. http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/02/14/features/eritrea.php