After our Umrah, we took the bullet train to Medina, shelling out a little extra for the class of seats that would get us food and tea and Arabic coffee.

Everyone fell asleep along the way, while I stared out the window and admired the desert views, our speed, and my niece as she cuddled in my lap.

It was a very convenient way to travel but such a contrast to what must have been a really intense trek from Mecca to Medina, and it truly put the magnitude of the Hijra—the migration the fledgling Muslim community undertook due to the persecution they were facing in Mecca at the time—into context.

It was also, weirdly, freezing. The AC was cranked up so high. What a problem to be having...

We decided a bit abruptly to do the mountain ascent to the blessed Cave of Hira, where the Prophet ﷺ first received prophecy. Looking back, if we get the chance to do it again, I'd rather go far, far earlier in the day, to avoid ascending/descending in the noon heat. But it all worked out!

I vividly remember driving over to the mountain in a taxi, marvelling at how far it would have been to walk there from Mecca. And then...we saw the mountain. And the closer we got to it, the taller it appeared, and the smaller the people ascending it looked.

I was very daunted. I'd had no idea it was a mountain mountain. I think I'd been envisioning a tall hill or something but wow. We gathered our courage, were grateful we'd packed water, sunhats, and sachets of electrolytes, and parked.

It was a serious hike, and the height was dizzying, even for me, and I don't have a strong fear of them. Steps had been cut/built into the mountain, zigzagging their way up, with railings...usually. There were vendors selling fruit and water at intervals, under tents and awnings. We passed all sorts of people. Elderly folk, children, babies. (We were so glad we'd left my niece at the hotel with her grandma).

I marvelled at the footwear and outfits people had donned. We hadn't been prepared, sure, but we were far more prepared than some others, who I felt really bad for. I remember a vendor taking another climber's young child on his back while his dad focused on just getting himself up the mountain.

Me and my sister-in-law decided early on that we would be taking our sweet time climbing, so as not to quite literally pass out. So while her brother and sister-in-law raced ahead with all the vigour of people way more in shape than either of us, we climbed one step at a time, taking breaks to catch our breath and aggressively fan and hydrate ourselves and enjoy the beautiful view.

It was, I must say, a far longer climb than it looks, and it already looks like a serious climb. Every time we thought we'd reached the top, we'd round a bend and see...more mountain. I won't lie, it got a bit despairing, but no way were we giving up when we'd put so much effort in already. And then we got to the top.

And it was breathtaking.

In 2023,  I was blessed to be able to do the lesser pilgrimage (umrah) with some of my family, including my niece! It was my first time and it was an incredible, beautiful experience. Here are the photos from our week long trip!

We then met up with our group at the Jeddah airport, changed some money, got some water, and goggled at the beautiful pillar-shaped aquarium.

We got very yummy pho and fried chicken at the Dubai airport, were we also changed into our pilgramage clothes (matching rosey-pink abayas and white hijabs for us women).

We took a bus to Mecca, driving in with the rising of the sun.

Our hotel was so pretty. And within a few minutes' walking distance from the Ka'bah! We got our rooms, dropped off our luggage, and headed straight out to do our first umrah.