World Run II / Reports

The map shows the position of which the pictures for the day are taken (if any). The start and finish markers are placed at the first and last valid registered position. This is not nessesary the actual start and finish position, if GSM or GPS signals was not available.

Goto: 2008-12-14 2008-12-16 Middle East

2008-12-15:

27
Distance today: 58.0 km (Accumulated: 8082.0 km)
Elapsed time: 05:12:43
Country: Middle East

Start 08:14am, at exit "Maloulah 7km" on Arab route M45. 12c, allm. clear and l. wind. Finish 16:08pm. at "The Danish Institute" in Damaskus. 21c and same.

(Nb: unfortunately the original report has been lost due to change of sim/phonecard. The start/finish time is thus w. a 10min. margin).

Damaskus !
Reached today what apparently are one of the worlds oldest citys if not the oldest, according to biblical legend :-)

On the run into city I had pleasant company by v. talented Syrian middle-distance runners and the danish ambassador, Ole, who also revealed talent as a runner!

Running into the labyrinth of the bazar/souk, bristling w. life, trade of all kinds of clothes, food, spices and jewellery, among thousand of years old history; was ceartainly an Arab highlight !

A danish highlight was the accomodation at the Danish Institute in the middle of the Souk. Walk/run.. in through a tiny door in the wall and ceartainly complete peace prevails between the high mosaiq walls centered around a huge but quiet waterbassin in the courtyard. A rich library on the arab world. Quarters for students of music, litterature; painters and poets. A meeting in peace & interest between Arabia and Scandinavia as it has been tradition since the Carsten Niebuhr expeditions centuries ago. A friendship only temporarely abrupted by a newspaperslack of cultural understanding and the reaction. I hope we soon will be back to the path of mutual friendship and respect in Large - as I meet it everyday here !!