Good Bye Edmund Hillary

The humble New Zealand beekeeper, Sir Edmund Hillary, who shot to global fame as the first person in 1953, to reach the summit of the highest Mountain, Everest, had passed away on Friday 11th January 2008. According to an officer at Auckland Hospital, he had heart attack after a spell of bad health.

This news had been spread everywhere. Most daily and television report it as a headline and millions of people in the world pay attention and condolence on him.

One thing I like from him, he consistently refused to confirm he was the first man reach the mountain, he was always saying he and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay had climbed as a team to the top. It was a measure of his modesty, and of his commitment to his colleagues. Salute…!

Good bye Hillary, the world has noted your name and thousand of climbers will always remember you. You are in every single heart of not only climber but furthermore you are very special for every adventurer in this planet.

Angling

I did fishing, eventually. It has been my dream since I came to this island. I planned to do it before hac, but I could not make it. Daily routines and rush-hectic job I had forced me to stay mostly at hotel and flat.

My busiest two months had gone and the time comes to me to start angling…

After observing some fishing shops in Manama, I bought a set of fishing tackle, comprising a fishing rod, a fishing reel, a 300 yards fishing line, swivels, sinkers, a knife, and hooks.

I was very happy, can you imagine that. I swung the rod and threw the line. I still can feel the smell of coastal breeze, it was fresh.., it’s kind of dry and salty, hmmm feel likes yummy…

But I got nothing, maybe because the place and I had only a very short time, two days ago, on 1st Muharram (Thursday, 10 Jan 08), my offday. I walked quite far from my flat in Juffair. There are currently some reclamation projects, seems like hotel or apartment constructions, some unfinished huge buildings. I went there and search the best I could. But because the place is normally busy, fishes don’t want to stay around there.

I started at 4pm, when I arrived I saw a car and a couple was fishing as well. I greeted them had some short chats. Three hours later, I went home.

I planned to go on the following day, but because the rain, I cancel angling. I waited until afternoon, but the weather did not permit. Beside cold weather, Bahrain has recently rain. I like it but I wish it doesn’t happen during my fishing time.

Hmm, I will do it again. Next stop will be a place close to a bridge near to my hotel. Or… Mohammed will invite me to go with his boat. Wow, that’s would be great…!
I wish…

Road to Mecca: pictorial 2

Prophet cemetery, inside of the Nabawi Mosque

Hac stuffs; qur'an, ihram clothes, mobile, id card, ihram belt, hac guidance, wirid book

Infront of Kuba Mosque. Prophet said, if you pray 2 raka'ats at this mosque, you will get a reward as equal to do one Umrah.

Inside of Kuba Mosque. Look at the roof, it is flip top.

With some Eropean hac travellers at the terrace of Qiblatain Mosque. Qiblatain means two Qiblats, or two directions. I saw there were 2 opposite Qiblats, one towards Mecca and the other one towards Aqsa, Palestine.

Next to Shopping arcade, outside of the Nabawi Mosque.

Noor and Athouve, both pakistani, with background of Jabel Badr (Badr Mountain).

Noor and me, at Jabel Badr, a place where prophet lost his two great leaders in Badr war.

Approaching Haram Mosque, we were going to perform Thawaf umrah, Saee umrah and Tahallul umrah.

This crowd was at Marwa, where we did Saee.

View from Haram Mosque. The goverment of Mecca has been upgrading Hac facilities, including the mosque itself. You will see lots of unfinished infrastuctures, and if you go Hac every year, you will notice some changes or let say improvement. Seem the goverment has been trying the best to serve their tourists.

Attending a lecture, at the Mina Tent.

Welcome Back my Rain

Finally, I experienced raining last night. For the first time, during this winter season, and new year. I could smell the rain, the odour of rain water hit top soil. I miss it…

I intentionally went out of my flat, just to enjoy this circumstance, I enjoyed walking to Al Jazeera supermarket, to buy some stuffs and when I was coming back, the rain was getting heavy. It’s cool, you know, remind me when I was in Bali.

I hope it is not the only rain happen during this winter, because last year, I noticed we had only two or three times, and even very light rain.

Last night, although it was only 5 minutes, it was somewhat heavy. Hmm… I am happy.

Road to Mecca: pictorial 1

Here are some pictures during my visit to the Kingdom of Saudi

Sami, me and Rizky. They picked me up and droped me to the meeting point. Thanks, bro.

with Dante, he's coming, surprised me.

Saudi immigration officers, ups.. + tentara, intel, preman...

view from our bus, on the way to Madina: It surprised me, when I knew they call this animal "Jamal", it's kind of name of Indonesian guy...

Finally I reached Madina and I found The Nabawi Mosque, it's 2am

Inside of the Nabawi Mosque

to be continued.....

2008: Happy New Year

Selamat Tahun Baru 2008

Road to Mecca: Tiny among Giants

Asian, particularly Indonesian, is considerably small in term of physical human body. I am Indonesian, and I am already small when you compare with other ordinary Indonesian men.

I was a tiny among Giants, there, at Hoora – Manama, the meeting point of Haj travellers. We all flocked into a large car park at Hoora. There were a lot of people coming with their luggage’s and I noticed most of them were huge.

I suddenly remembered what Baba saying. He told me a short conversation when he met some Pakistani guys from southern area.
“Where are you from?”
“North,” the huge guy answered.
“Wow, no wonder.” Baba replied.

According to Baba, my best Pakistani friend, culturally and geographically, Pakistan, his country is divided into two main areas, south and north. South is more civilized, because it is close to coastal area, where people there can easily have interaction with other worlds, trading, etc. It is more open, but generally people are physically smaller compare with the one living in the North Pakistan. “It’s a kind of Jungle men, huge and whatever you say…”

I am a tiny among those giants, Pakistani, Bahraini, and other Arabic nationalities. I was the only Indonesian, struggling to get equal services from the Haj Travel agent. We were about to leave for Saudi through land access, by bus. Everybody was busy with their group, while I was alone, searching my bus, my seat, my tour leader…

There were 5 buses, each one has 52 seats. Total was around 250 to 300 persons, I guess. Mostly were Arabic, Indian, Pakistani and I was the only tiny Indonesian.

Yalla…!