After my experience yesterday with the expected arrival of the President I had been so little concern for the coming days. But I got lucky again. Yesterday was my last in Lahore. Thanks also to my colleagues who work there was done very quickly. I am now again in Frankfurt at the airport waiting for my flight to Berlin. This morning at 5 am by the clock I go Hotel in Lahore. Strangely enough, the entire police force disappeared. Perhaps it was too early for terrorists ;). Looks as if the story here, but soon goes on. My next trip is already announced. But at least I'm home at Christmas time only.

Yesterday morning there was something strange in the hotel. My colleagues called me and informed that they are on their way to the hotel to me abzuhohlen. So I grabbed my pack and go. I make the door open and there is a policeman in front of me. Located in the hotel. 5 steps further is the next one. How it all the way to the elevator. In the lobby, and all full of police. I thought: "They will not all be here for me?" And I'm out the door to wait for the car. Here, saw it, but somehow also funny. The number of police officers had not taken off, but the number of cars vorfahrenden was for a hotel of this size (the largest in all of Pakistan, 5 star, Pearl Continental amazing) and for those few days. After a few minutes I noticed that there are no true. Eventually, a hotel employee told me that I would not have a car here and I had to run abhohlen the parking lot. Well, 200. Actually, no problem. So I waited there. After about half an hour, the car finally arrived. My colleagues said, the hotel's driveway was blocked. Well I now knew so well already. The driveway to the parking lot but is about 150m in front. An indication that you have to use this approach, it was not natural. It was therefore once around the block. As if that's not bad enough in Lahore, also shut down all traffic lights and traffic had been governed by bailiffs to intersections. The entire city gave the impression as if the state of emergency was declared. Maybe yes, the Indians had declared war on the night. During the day it arrived at work but to no acts of war. Late in the evening we went back to the hotel. The number of police officers had not been reduced and now even soldiers came to hanging around with MPs at the intersections. The density increased with greater proximity to the hotel then and still. At the hotel then again the same game. No evidence for the guests, but the entrance was easy to. I wanted to save the time, around one round to go. So I get out of the car, on foot through the half closed door and towards the hotel entrance. I was about 5 meters wide, because I yelled at one of the policemen. I could not understand what he wanted, but I was only a precaution even stand and looked at him questioningly. Since I do not really found out what he wanted, I turned around and walked on. 2 steps. Then a soldier standing in front of me screaming, waving the gun. He spoke at least some English and explained to me in a rather unfriendly tone that I could not here long. I was a little confused. That was the only way towards the hotel entrance. I explained that I was a hotel guest, and there just purely wanted. That would not do, was granted me. On the why? there was no answer. In other words, there was one: I should not ask stupid and do that to get away. Meanwhile, I was surrounded by about 10 armed men more or less difficult to police and soldiers. It seemed like the perfect time to give up the resistance. But still I managed to elicit from you that I take the back entrance. As a reference direction was interpreted roughly in the opposite direction. I have thus shown the superiority losgetrottet and am in the other direction. The whole thing was such a kind of poorer road. I arrived a few minutes walk to the back entrance. Given what I expected because I had expected but not now. There was nothing that is. Yes, simply: NOTHING. One has the normal entrance to the hotel security checkpoint and baggage screening roughly imagined as the control at the airport, just really thoroughly. But here at the back door was: NOTHING. I could go in with my bomb in the backpack, the entire lobby, between the, by now probably hundreds, police round up to the front entrance. I got to about 10m from the spot where I previously was not allowed to continue for safety reasons. By the way, the door was heavy traffic. Lags may be because I look like a camouflaged Taliban? Because I wanted to ask at the reception anyway something that I also made the same, the question, what did that mean to the whole. They told me today that they had increased security. I said, I have already noticed, but why? Well, the president came to visit. I wondered: What, the whole day already? He looked at me somewhat puzzled. He was probably not in the morning shift there. I told him then that this was the very morning been so. No, no, he said. Do not spend your entire day. The day after tomorrow!

you would think when you here the evening comes on the road. What there, but so whitish lights in the headlights of the cars is no snow. It's just dust. The visibility on some roads is here in the sunshine and blue skies 100m. To that in Asian cities this size standard, smog is still dust. Even if you sit in your car, you can already just from the sight of dust clouds in a coughing fit.
The property is now but did not come quite as bad as previously thought. Instead of the "guest house" I was driven into the first house on the square. Not bad there. Today its still a more important guest to expect me. The whole house was surrounded by police. Not even the driver was able to drive up to the hotel abhohlen. The surrounding streets were full of police, fire, ambulance .... You feel safe already.

I came to Abu Dhabi. I am now sitting in the airport and wait for the flight to Lahore. In the middle of the night at 2:00 clock. Will then be in Lahore at 06.00 clock. By email I received only times not so good news. First, there is supposedly no free hotel in Lahore, so they booked the guesthouse. According to one of my colleagues: the level of local migrant workers. Not heated (to the year it is too cold there). Not really clean. Well, let's see. Internet access is also not there. That means I do not know when I can write again. The best news, however: "Power cabling is almost done." So from Asia translated from German: They have still done nothing. It is (perhaps) begin when I am there. I'm pretty upset, because that was already promised for last week. I see Christmas in danger!

Yesterday was a holiday. As is common in many Muslim countries, Friday is that which is with us on Sunday. Saturday is also free and then the week starts on Sunday.
A colleague, Tareq, offered me to show me the old part of Damascus today. Since I am not versed in the city and information to my local colleagues, the majority of taxi drivers do not, as most Syrians are not, I accepted the offer gladly.
The old city of Damascus is surrounded by the old city wall. She embraces the oldest continually inhabited city in the world. This part of Damascus is over 6000 years old. The inner is the largest mosque in Syria among others, the Umayyad Mosque, Saladin's grave, which has about 1000 years ago beat the Crusaders in Jerusalem and the terrible Damascus citadel.
Mainly the old town today consists mainly of restaurants and hundreds of small shops selling just about everything you can imagine. Of course, lots of knick-knacks for tourists. At the end we made a small exit in the mountains above Damascus. A wonderful view over the city.
Tomorrow we head towards the east. In the afternoon, to Bahrain, then to Abu Dhabi and from there to Lahore. There I will arrive on Monday morning.

For more information about: Damascus , Umayyad Mosque , Saladin and the Damascus citadel .

Last night there was again a larger meal. One of the ladies here had a birthday. I was also invited. So I was picked up again in the evening around 9:30. We run back to the old town. Was something scary, like the colleague is gebrettert through the narrow streets. But seems to be normal. Somehow, all of which go very fast and the cars have no dents.
We stayed in one of the famous restaurants of the city Names Oxygen. When we arrived at 22.00 clock there, we were the first. Usually, the parties are in fact quite late in the evening going. Between 22 and 23 clock. For this, we go up against 2 or 3 in the morning. I do not want to write in detail about the food again, otherwise there are frequent complaints . I was in the hotel by 2 again. Nevertheless, all colleagues were on time the next morning back to work.

So in my previous trips which she did with the numbers still. You do not always understand you, but you can read it at least. This is not so easy. This starts with the money. Which number is probably on this bill?

Not so easy is not it? With the bill, it goes. You can turn to the emergency But on the coins you have to stop guessing and then trust the dealer.

Last night I was invited by the Regional Chief for dinner. Together with some colleagues. It went off quite late in the evening. We had arranged to meet in the afternoon already. His colleagues said it would be late and they would call me in the hotel. Sun before 21.30 clock then the phone rang. It went into the old city of Damascus. That in itself is quite impressive. Since houses are from a time when the Germans still running with the club through the forest. I absolutely must find the time to go there again during the day.
Right next to the biggest mosque in Syria was the restaurant. The others were already there. The food was great. Just as it was just imagining the Orient. First of a whole table full of appetizers. Actually, I was already tired. Besides his colleagues have suckled at their hookahs. Only the belly dancers were missing. Then there was the main course. A large plate with all sorts grilled meat. So I knocked again. Much more, however, did not. But that was not the end. Dessert, of course, must still be well. Sweet pastry and coffee or tea to. After 3 hours, the round was then dissolved. I was still housed at breakneck ride to the hotel.