For those who care:
This is getting "funnier" by the day: this Sunday I left my place _after_ the appointed time of 9 AM and reached the meeting place at ~9:15 AM. The other party still managed to be late by 5 to 10 minutes. This country/place is doomed and I cannot put up with this BS anymore: I am thinking of leaving after the other party says they have reached the place to give them the taste of their own medicine.