As soon as I stepped out of the plane, the morning chill was the first to brush my cheeks with a gentle stroke. I inhaled deeply…happy to be back, I murmured in silence as if I was talking to the guardian spirits of the Assir Mountains. I have no idea who will be at the airport to pick me up.

Vroom! Vroom then the engine would cough and stop. After allowing the truck to roll backward to gain momentum, the driver would try once more but after the third attempt, I climbed down. It was my first journey to the Tihama heartlands in the early 80’s. The steep climb was too much for the Land rover. In the back of the truck were medicines and my two weeks supply of food. I climbed the rocky slope on foot and waited at the hilltop while the driver inched the Land Rover to the top.

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Israel may kill a thousand babies, maybe a hundred thousands but a million more will be born. Israel can put an end to the lives of many Palestinians but it will never put an end to HATE for it is hate that no Israeli bomb can kill. Every life, every building that Israeli bombs shatter the more hate it will generate around the world like a big bang whose thunder echoes with the cries of the fallen innocents. Every splintered piece that Israel bombs generate is another piece of hate for the Zionists. We have come to a point in time where ISRAEL can no longer manipulate people’s mind through the mainstream media. CNN and BBC either present the truth or people will simply shift to AL JAZEERA and PRESS TV or simply click their mouse to another world - the World Wide Web.

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I guess, as one becomes a regular visitor of Mecca, the thrill becomes less and less compared to the first time. After quite sometimes however of not making the journey while being not really far; it becomes quite exhilarating.

I just had a very comfortable journey to Mecca. If I had known it to be that cheap I would have gone before. The last time I went was in year 2000 shortly before I left Saudi Arabia not expecting to come back. The first thing in my mind since I returned 3 ½ years ago was to make the “Umrah” journey but I kept postponing it for various reasons. I planned to really make the journey this month of Ramadan so I saved some money for it having spent my savings for my daughter’s employment in Doha. Unfortunately, I received a text message from my wife’s niece asking for help. Her brother could not take the exam unless I lent her money for his tuition fee. “There goes my umrah journey,” I thought with a giggle. Okay, I said to myself. I will make the journey when the weather is good. In the past I used to make the journey in the month of January/February. It is spring time in Saudi Arabia and aside from the soothing climate, the desert is green and the flowers are in bloom in the mountains and valleys, a breathtaking view in the this part of the kingdom.

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