It’s also my last night with my mava.

For someone who has not been a part of my life since I was two years old he is now a huge part.
We have dinner together and he gives me some golden advice about my future.

Everyone fretting over the weight limit and I bet some serious duas are being made!

Zinger has got us all personalised key rings. Mine says ‘Mava Jr’
I’m going to miss Zinger’s legendary haggling tactics.

We rush round sorting out stuff and then just chatting.

Coaches arrive at 4am. We take our luggage and grab our seats.

The farewell I have been dreading cannot be put off any longer. I have to say goodbye to mava. That moment will live in my mind as long as I live.
Never has a goodbye been more emotional for me. Never.
Even while I write this it hurts me inside.

Coaches try to move off but it’s time for tahajjud. Thousands and thousands of people as far as the eye can see fill the roads. They walk with their prayer mats on their shoulders, forsaking their beds to come at this hour to worship. The most beloved place to every single one.
It was the most fitting farewell to Mecca I could have wished for.

Jeddah with us in no time.
Little bit annoyed as to how the luggage is thrown onto the floor and the battle starts as you fish for what is yours.
No order in the queues but we patiently wait for our turn.
Our check-in bloke is not happy and I am worried he really going to come down hard on the excess luggage but it was the complete opposite and he didn’t care what we had.

We get the boarding passes and just when I thought this had been the most surreal and blessed Hajj ever…

Can you guess who then got business class?

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