Hotel Grand Talah Mecca

One day trip we did get to make was to Makkah, to perform Umrah or the Lesser Pilgrimmage. We left at dawn to beat the crowds and the heat, and made the 45 minute drive to Makkah. It's a huge, 8-lane highway with one checkpoint (after you cross the sign for non-Muslims to exit). I can remember my earliest trips to Makkah I used to keep a death grip on my husband, afraid of becoming lost or separated. Now I prefer to be on my own, and at each stage of the ritual I ...

... with a distinct cardamom flavour through it) but, this was very drinkable - and for those who know me well know how much I dispise coffee! It appears you have to get the well made stuff to appreciate it :p<br><br>Thursday evening was the highlight of the trip by far, as we visited the traditional Souk of Ukadh. This is a festival-like event that happens at this time every year. We were led to the front row, centre seats of the audience to watch traditional Arabic dance and music - trying ...

The bulk of our trip we spent with my in-laws in Jeddah -- 3+ weeks. We started by trying to get as much shopping done as possible, saving short day trips for later. Jeddah as a city has become so crowded over the years, traffic is terrible. However finally the government appears to be doing something about it by building a series of flyovers and bridges to try and lessen the strain on the busiest streets. This won't help that actual terrible ...

... to rest. <br><br>We did stop at a rest area for the sunset prayers, which gave a nice break. We stopped at one of the larger chains -- Sapco. So there's a gas station, small playground, a mosque, a grocery store, a restaurant, and often small shops selling cassette tapes of religious lectures and music or small gift items and outdoor paraphenalia (like flower pots, water coolers, these funky riding toys for kids in the shape of birds ...

Arrived at last on UK don't care if its freezing cold, if its snowing, if there are gales, even 5ft of snow I don't care.......I'm just happy that I am safe...didn't really want to say how much I was frightened the last few days and didn't want people to worry but the tears of relief when that plane took off I have never felt before ...

At airport she has booked me on the flight tonight from london so I will have to stay in London over night and get a flight Sunday. She was really horrible this morning never even told me about my flights she left the house with not saying a word gave my passport to the guard and told then not to give me it till I was through immigration!!!! Think she sent the most run down car she could find to take me ...

Well I hope I will be on a flight tomorrow Saturday, finger crossed as yet I have not been told anything, not been given my passport back with exit visa, tickets etc etc. But the agency assures me it will be OK tomorrow!! The last few days have been very scary for me and very worrying as you hear so many stories, I just don't know if I ever want to come back it has been an experience to say the least.......mmmmm might write a book ...

Well I had a day off yesterday!!! I know someone who was working in Jeddah and I tagged along with her to the beach, it was just so nice to get out and be free!! Oh but I had to be back for 10/10.30pm (I felt like I was a teenager again being told what time I had to be back for, even though it was my day off!!!) But hey ho I was free for the day.i had a great time just doing nothing, we then went for pizza after wards and watched the thunder storm and the rain....yes it rained here lat ...

... largest building I had ever been in. Outside a curious admixture of denizens circulated around the grounds, including street vendors of every stripe. Once the sun went down, the sellers really appeared in droves. Dates, carpets, prayer rugs, everything you would want to stock up on was available at rock bottom prices.<br><br>Be forewarned, that currency is the only medium of exchange. The banks we went to did not recognize travelers checks or credit cards. [no one had ...

... are a newly wed at that time (we were married on April 2006, and this voyage start on June 2006), because if either me or my husband getting romantic it could undo our niyat, and we have to go back to Bir Ali to do the preparation all over again. The journey was as exciting as it was exhausting.