I don’t remember falling asleep, but I must have. I was surprised to see daylight trying to invade my room through the drawn curtains. Sunlight. Impossible, I thought. It must be only two or three in the morning. I looked at my watch. It was 7 a.m. I felt as if I had awakened from a coma.

You see, I had a visitor during the night. I went to bed around 2 a.m., and I hadn’t quite fallen asleep when I heard my door open. I was on my side, facing the door, and my room was pitch black. Three layers of curtains kept the downtown lights of Kuwait City from entering.

The sound of the door opening made my body stiffen with surprise and, I have to admit, fright. All I have is a pocket knife, and I do sleep with it, but its small blade would only infuriate an attacker. I’m not that skilled in inflicting disabling wounds with a paper clip or a knife usually used to open letters.

I opened my eyes to a squint and watched a man enter the room. He stopped about five feet from the bed and watched me for about 30 seconds. I thought I would wait to see what he did. If he advanced further, then I would jump up. But he turned around and walked out.
When I arrived in Kuwait, I checked the hotels around the airport. They were far too expensive, so I asked people about cheaper rates. The hotel I found is downtown and not as cheap as I’d like. Still, I’m on the ninth floor, and you get there by squeezing into a shoebox-size elevator.

I don't know if I should tell the hotel staff. The rooms are entered by sliding a card into the door, just like in the United States. Perhaps someone had a key to the wrong room. Perhaps a staff member thought the room was vacant and was checking to see if it was ready to be occupied. I don't know. The thing is, all the staff is aware of my maniacal running around to get a visa for Iraq. They've made phone calls for me, translated for me and done more than a personal secretary would do. They've been great. But the reality is that the Iraqi border is only an hour and a half away. We know there are people in many countries who support the insurgents or the Taliban, or both.

Is it possible that someone wanted to see the idiot trying to get into Iraq? Who knows. Last night's visitor doesn't dampen my enthusiasm about this venture. I'm still going to Iraq. I'm an optimistic guy who always looks for a rational explanation before jumping to conclusions. I want to believe the man made a mistake and entered the wrong room somehow. Maybe my presence in the room startled him, too. He didn't do anything menacing. But having a stranger in your darkened room can have a menacing tone to it. I usually throw the dead bolt on the door, but I forgot last night. I won't forget again, but I hope I'm out of here soon. Encountering danger in a place like Iraq doesn't seem as bad as finding it in place like Kuwait. This is a friendly country with prosperity shouting at you everywhere. Westerners mix with the locals, and soldiers, Marines and contractors from Iraq come here to get some rest from the craziness in Iraq.

I'm off to the U.S. embassy in a few minutes. I was waiting for them to open at 8 a.m. It's now 8:40. Folks back home are barely into the early minutes of Sunday. Kuwait is already rumbling with activity.

If there's no way I can get a visit to Iraq from here, I'm leaving today for a place where I can secure one. Wish me luck.