Medina

Next morning we woke up by herd of very hungry camels descended from the dune and into the oasis just stopping short of our tent. They looked at us skeptically, we were invaders after all. Then they grazed around us, careful not to get too close.

Not wanting to lose the morning breeze, we pulled ourselves away from the camels and hit the road. Direction Medina, 550 km and 46 °C. It might also have been a bit more if you count the hot engine air frying our legs...
We pulled into Medina after dark where we cooled down our brains for a bit.

Next morning we went to the workers restaurant next door (typical) where all they had was tins of tuna and beans for the fuul, our standard order with a side of Karak tea. Easy peasy, cheap and cheery, what more could we ask for?

We left the helmets behind and set off on foot. From the Quba Mosque, standing where the first mosque ever was built, we slowly walked towards Al-Masjid An-Nabawi, the Prophet's Mosque. A few kilometres along palm trees and the tranquility of a pilgrimage town, people watching, having a chai or a kebab here and there - just being a bit slow for once and watching life happen. Medina seemed a lot more relaxed than hectic Makkah. Known for its plentiful date gardens, the green invited a lot of breeze and there were many foot paths to quietly stroll. And that's how we spent our evening, calmly weaving through the stalls and between the silent moving crowd.

Tomorrow we'd throw the helmets back on - again for an incomparable furnace ride, heavenhell yeah!Baca lagi