Tour of Egypt / Medina / Mecca including Sinai and Mount Tursina

17 days Umrah including a tour of Egypt with an expedition to the top of Jabel Musa, read the headline on the bulletin board of the Madrasah or Religious School where we attend regular evening religious classes. We found out that our guru will also be taking the tour.

I searched the net on Mount Turisina and found several write ups by people who have visited and climbed the mountain. It sounded interesting and challenging. We psyched ourselves and went for it. Even Ram, although apprehensive in the beginning given the condition of her eyes, was enthusiastic after I read to her these write ups. She thought of one of her former staff, who was physically challenged in his legs, climbed a mountain somewhere in India a long time ago and returned with happy descriptions of his climb. She thought if he could do it then she should be able to do it, different mountains but mountain all the same. Furthermore there is some religious significance in this climb we intend to make. We had four weeks before making the trip and prepared ourselves mentally and physically for the climb.

With about thirty seven others we went on the 17 days tour. Egypt was the first stop. Our itinerary was tight and the main activity in Egypt was the climb of Mount Turisina in Sinai, specifically Jabel Musa or Mount Musa, at the peak of which Prophet Musa or Moses received his Commandments from God the Almighty. It was at this mountain peak that Musa spent 40 days, alone in a hole, in total supplication and submission to the Almighty.

The rest of the time in Egypt was spent mostly visiting Islamic historical sites and graves of Great Muslim fighters who defended Islam, Religious leaders, Martyrs, Companions of Prophet Mohamad pbuh, and also Prophets before Mohamad, in and around Cairo, Alexanderia or Iskandariah, and the Sinai area.

Two of my former colleagues are now posted and based in Cairo. We tried to meet up but somehow our schedules could not synchronize. Hopefully there will be another time for us to meet.

We spent three nights in Egypt before proceeding to Jeddah and on to Medina for four days and then on to Mecca for the 'Umrah'.

We arrived home in the late evening of 4th October tired, hmmmm…. exhausted seems a better word!! With the will of the Almighty, I will write more with some details of each portion of the tour and their significance, where possible. Meanwhile, allow me to ponder over the various events and formulate their presentation before writing them here .....

MKI Ramblings Unlimited
Petaling Jaya.