Unlike many other places, here comes the evening, not in the usual hotel boredom. So far I am at least been on the road every night somewhere. Around 8 is an SMS from a colleague: "desire to go somewhere?". Around 9 then comes the collector. Time in the old town into a coffee, sometimes in a restaurant in the mountains with stunning views over the city, then play billiards again. A bit unusual is simply that all like a rather late evening runs and does not end before midnight. Amazingly well is also busy as the city at this hour still is.

In this hotel (Queen Center Rotana Suites), there are also German television. Not only that, broadcast all over the world, German wave. The exchange sends in hourly between German, English and Arabic. No, you can also watch the ZDF. The whole has, unfortunately, only a little time lag. I'm not talking about the one hour time difference, so that the evening program begins here only at 21.15 clock instead of 20.15. No, no! That's a lot more interesting. The time delay affects only the sound or picture, even on how you want to see it. The tone has about half a second ahead of the picture. Somehow, the physicists are wrong. Apparently the sound is still faster than light!

Yesterday was here Friday. This is the same as Sunday with us, so to speak of "holy day" of Muslims. In other words, free day! A colleague of mine had offered only once, he takes me on a trip to the mountains. He wanted to call. But then a lot of good. He called me at least not to. Well, not too bad. I wanted to look at the old town again anyway. Noon, then I go. Walk from the hotel in the old town. So about 5 km as the crow flies is (says Google Earth). Was slightly more than 1 hour on the way. Then I wandered through the narrow streets of Old Town. Since I was already here on Wednesday evening with colleagues for an evening outing, and I say the Christian Quarter of the Old Town had shown, I have also tried to find this again. Was not that easy. The problem is that in the narrow old streets have no reference point. One can not even see the sun. As beautiful, however, virtually every corner waiting for a surprise. One never really knows what is coming next. What I found were lots of lovely cafes and restaurants. It was wonderful spring weather (15-18 degrees and sunny), so the best weather to try out some of the coffee. Tea, coffee or ice cream is exactly the right in this weather. Unfortunately I have not found the Christian Quarter. Do I have to come again later. Maybe I can still, get hold of a map.

The airport of Damascus does not receive a straight-friendly. He's pretty down hour of operation. In addition, the radiating not just the staff friendliness. I was among the first at passport control. There are a few switches and a lot of foreigners to nationals. Unlike supermarket checkouts were open but all switches. But for a long time does not mean that there is fast. I introduced myself to the first switch for foreigners. Only one in front of me. One looked like a rich oil sheik. He discussed something with the two in the glass box, gave them a stack of passports and disappeared into a waiting room. I moved up to the switch. However, I was honored not look at. The two were engaged to work through the stack of passports. So were 12 to 15 bottles. Each of them was leafing through from beginning to end, then something compared to the computer, typed in a large book filled and labeled. This went on for 5 minutes, 10 minutes .... I looked around and thought to switch to another switch. But all were very long queues and it seemed to go really fast to nowhere. So wait on. 15 minutes. The stack is smaller. The odd oil sheik reappears. I will continue to be ignored. The guy is talking with the two in a glass case, then he turns around, a quick call and released from the waiting room so 12-15 (almost exactly as many passes as in a glass box) dark figures. Oil sheik? Muslims? Dark figures? Come to think of fällts! Could be all women. I manage a look at one of the folded-passports. Is actually a photo of a woman with a headscarf drinne. Could indeed be an oil sheik and his harem. But how can you really be sure? They all go past the glass case. The guy takes the stack of passports and they disappear towards Syria. No one has checked whether what is shown in the passport plugged under the cloak.

It goes off again, dear readers! This trip begins just like the last one: With a flight to Vienna and then on to Damascus. So now I sit back and wait in the airport in Vienna that it continues. I will be today at 3 clock Orstzeit afternoon in Damascus. I hope I find time to write on a regular basis.