The day has finally come for me to journey to holy Mecca and fulfill my hajj. I have been preparing for this day for so long. I had traveled to the nearest trade route and picked out the finest silk robes I could afford. The merchant was a horrid man, so oblivious and ignorant. He tried to sell me an idol! I almost left right there and then but the robes were so beautiful and I had walked so long to get there, it would have been a shame to leave empty handed. .
It is taking so much preparation to be able to make this journey. I had talked to many local elders who have themselves made the hajj and asked what it is that I need to expect. They told me I would have to walk anywhere between 60 and 70 days!!! I hope I will be able to make it. My journey starts here in Timbuktu, Mali, and I will trek through the Ahaggar Mountains and around the Tassili-N-Ajjer Desert. They say that when I pass through the Gulf of Suez I need to be very cautious as to avoid bandits. One of the elders was robbed when he passed near by. .
I will not be journeying alone, my mother and father will be accompanying me and I am very grateful. Although they both have journeyed to Mecca previously, they did not want anything horrible to happen to me. A man who lived very close to our home attempted the journey a year ago without any company and hasn't been seen since. Mother says he chose to stay but some of the others say he got lost in the wilderness. Regardless, I feel much safer knowing that I will not be alone. We have just left home and met up with two other families who will be journeying with us. One family has a son my age, he seems nice. Now I have someone to talk to as we walk. Well, time to go. .
Dear Diary, .
The journey to Mecca has been rough. I have been preparing for the trip for so long, but I never thought that it would be this tough. The trip seems to be getting longer and longer. During the days it gets so hot, I feel like Im going to die.