Parterre

I stayed at the Expo Hotel, which was quite nice if basic and a little distant from the center of town, although the walk is pleasant. Rooms were clean even if the towels (just the towel) looked a bit dodgy. No problem with hot water at all (good water pressure to boot), and electricity was actually quite regular during our three days there-- the only time it was out was when we first checked in, even though we'd been warned to expect that it'd be off in the mornings. Good although limited breakfast options (ful medames or eggs).

There are fairly regular buses between Asmara and Massawa, but at least on the return you will want to buy a ticket at the station rather than trying to do so upon boarding (as you can do in Asmara), otherwise you may end up cooling your heels at Massawa bus station, in the hot sun and pestered by flies, for quite some time, as we learnt the hard way. Also, just to warn you, the road to the coast is quite the white-knuckle drive-- no one tells you this. (In hindsight, what else is to be expected if you're descending 7500 ft in 20-odd miles?). Tickets were about 60 nakfa, maybe less. They might give you trouble if you're obviously a tourist, though.

We had a contact who showed us around Asmara (not really a tour guide, maybe a minder if anything, but really an associate of a relative), who knew a guy who could change money at 18-to-1. I have no idea how easy it is to get a hold of someone like that independently, but I would be discreet about it.

Obviously, you have to try the pizza. Admas is a good place, and it's quite lively in the evenings. There's an even better place across the street, whose name I've sadly forgotten. If you go, though, tell Domino-- the owner, a charming older fellow who's retired from Atlanta-- that I say hello!