The day before yesterday, when Mr Kalpakji took me off for dinner, there was also Mr Kennis, Consul at the Royal Belgian Embassy. He wanted to hear my story from myself, but I had to deceive them. After no sleep for 40 hours I was dead. I still had high fever, a very painful cough and meantime also diarrhea. Ashamed of my impoliteness, I was forced to ask M Kalpakji to bring me back to my hotel, where I felt asleep immediately. Just before though I accepted Mr Kalpakji’s offer, to get his chauffeur drive me to the Syrian border. I would not have been able to ride the full distance, I was too weak. Also, after new information, it looked safer for me to be driven on an official car, than to cycle alone.

On the Lebanese side, I would be under protection of Colonel Pierre Salem, this on order of the Lebanese Minister of Interior. All this had been arranged by my friend Max. Thank you Max! I convened with the Colonel, that I would send him an SMS, just before entering the Syrian border, and another one, as soon as I will be out again. So, when the second message failed to come, they would knew, that there is another problem, and could react immediately.

But everything went fine, everybody was nice and helpful.

“Come and visit us again soon!”

There are 10 km to the Lebanese border, and I was quite nervous until I finally saw the post. Finally! I am safe! I was expected already. The responsible welcomed me to Lebanon, gave me my visa at no cost, and offered me his help for whatever I needed. I declined politely, there are so many nice and helpful people in Lebanon, I really did not need any more help. Then I climbed on my bike to finish this tour. I was not in a hurry. Slowly I climbed the last pass, then I let “Yellow wind” bring me alone to Beirut, the last 20 km going downwards.

Today I spent many hours with Mr Raphaël, our Consul in Lebanon. Here I got the last pieces to complete my puzzle. Meantime I think that I know most of the story. I will never know everything. The more I know I realize how lucky I am to be here today.

Tomorrow I will fly back to Luxembourg, than I will start posting reports of the 8 days missing in this blog

 Beirut, the end of my travel