From my garmin, it shows 43.4km with the time of 6:54.

As usual, 3 of us.

This one was just for the picture. Actually, I walked almost all the way. Walking with my long legs can even overtook some runners!

The cold coconut was really a treat.  

I clocked about 5 minutes faster than my last marathon even with all the stops and 1km extra!

I’m looking forward to run the jungle one.

I refinanced my houses. !0 years ago Islamic loan was expensive. Now the rates are competitive. Even with the lawyer fees and stamp duty and also new housing insurance, I still save a lot and extra cash.

I sold my 17 years old car and bought a scooter for my wife to retain my car registration number. Old car started giving problem and put aside all sentimental element, you have to go.

I cancelled my Astro. I opt for cheaper alternative.

I tried to cancel my credit card but unsuccessful after they waived all renewal fees.

All because, I aim to be financially free when I reached 50.

5.5km run, 40km cycling and 10km is a very much harder than Powerman last year. The elevation was the killer.

Looking at the medal, I need to participate in 2014 and 2015 to complete the collection.

3 of us from Alor Setar. It is really hard to get other cycling buddies to take up running.

Swimming is not for me in this lifetime. So, no triathlon.

Now I just ride for a cause, or for friends. Cycling is fun again.

The picture of 90+ riders before crossing the border.

The mosque that we painted

The meeting of the Great Adventure Bandung took place that night after dinner.

As usual, food is the main attraction in Thailand.

You can have Pulut Ayam in the morning, afternoon and night.

The resort we stayed was just THB350 per night

Looking forward to join again next year.

I created a page with pictures – Click here

Air Tickets

Saudi Airlines and Egypt Air offer good online systems. If you were to book KL-Jeddah-KL, the system will quote you the price in US Dollars. It is more expensive than booking from travel agents. For Saudi Airlines, normal price is about RM2600 quoted by Adinas Travel (Saudi Airlines agent in Malaysia). I think it is about the same if using Egypt Air but I think you can choose to visit Cairo for a few days if you want to.

The cheaper choice – http://adiharriman.com/blog/?p=3983

Now AIRASIA!

Please make sure the Visa is available during the time you want to do the booking.

Visa

There are times when umrah visa is not available. Now, no visa for umrah is issued for January and February. If you were to ask travel agent also they cannot tell the specific date when it will be available.

If you were to grab cheap tickets from online, please make sure the Visa is available during that time. A friend of mine booked a ticket for umrah in December and hope that his friend in Jeddah will help out in applying Tourist Visa, was unsuccessful.

You have to apply Visa a month before departure not earlier. The visa is valid for 30 days from the date of entrance.

You have to apply through travel agent – http://adiharriman.com/blog/?p=3927

Agents for umrah – http://www.hajinformation.com/umrah_agents.php?id=78

Transport

From Madinah Airport to Masjid Nabawi costs SR50 for Toyota Vios and SR100 for bigger car

Madinah – Makkah, we used Saptco. It runs every hour and takes about 6 hours to arrive. It costs SR55 one way and if you buy return, there is some discount. The bus is very nice and specious. It makes 2 stops. First at Bir Ali for Miqat and the second one about 2 hours before Makkah  for food and prayers. You also can choose car or van like Toyota Innova, it cost around SR400 one way.

Makkah – Jeddah Airport, we took an unlicensed cab for SR140. Normal rice is SR150 – SR200. It took 2 hours to reach Jeddah Airport.

Makkah – Tanaim, for Umrah, the ride with van cost SR3. Some charged SR5. You have to be patient to for vans offering SR3.

Language

No one seems to know English for chitchatting. They just know numbers. You have to use sign language a lot. Solution: Learn a little bit of Arabic.

Accommodation

Rooms are easy to find except during Ramadan as told by my friends. You are free to negotiate the price offered and check out the room first before deciding. Most of the room normally have 3 beds.

Accommodation – Madinah

Cheaper one is about SR100 and it normally has 3 beds. New hotels nearer to masjid are very expensive. Look for hotel a bit further and behind the masjid.

While I was there I managed to get 3 nights for only SR200 i.e SR67 per night.

Accommodation- Makkah

Nice but cheap hotel and the one normally used by Tour Agents are normally around SR150 per night per room. It has 3 beds, fridge, towels and TV. The one we stayed was located at Ajyad Road, near Shohada Hotel. It is about 500m from masjid.

Food

Foods are easy to find. Avoid buying right after prayers because all shops are full with people. The cheapest rice with 1/2 chicken is SR11 which is enough for 4 person. Vegetable is almost non-existence so we bought some cucumber to eat with our food

Tea is SR1 per paper cup. Tea with milk is SR2. What we did was; we bought a cattle and a tin of condensed milk and a pack of tea bags.

Zamzam

You can buy the containers and bring to masjid to fill up. Mostly 10 litres containers are used. You can fill up at zamzam water available outside the masjid and cannot bring your big containers inside the masjid. There were times when zamzam water ran out and you have to take from inside the masjid. I think the biggest bottle you can bring inside is 1.5 litre.

Or just you can just buy from the hotel at SR20. The have some ready for their customers and it comes sealed with plastic bag.

I was thinking of buying a container and fill it up myself but the heat and carrying heavy load put off the idea.

Dates/Kurma

You better buy at Dates Market in Madinah. A lot of choices and cheaper than Makkah. Ajwa is around SR60 per kg.

Luggage

For Saudi Airlines, you can check in 40kg of luggage and 1 zamzam for free. Now they have new policies on number of bags. Better check with their website.

Budget (I will detail out when I got time)

For 10 days, 2 days in Madinah and 10 days in Makkah.

Roughly for twin sharing hotel room, food, transport – form my experience RM1,000 per person is enough.

Pros and cons  (Will update soon)

Pros

• Cheap
• Local cuisine. In tour package mostly you are served with Indonesian food.
• Create your own itinerary. For example: After prayer in the morning you can go to Tanaim for Umrah and you can complete your umrah early before it got hot. In tour package, after prayer, you have to go back to hotel for breakfast, then you can only start your umrah. The sun already rose.

Cons

• Cannot postpone or cancel
• Not for the first timers

Notes:

• This guide is not for first timers. What you read in Umrah book is not as easy as actually performing umrah.
• This guide is mostly based my Umrah in April 2012
• Exchange rate at that time is RM100 = SR116

 I’ll add more information from time to time.

Post question the comment section in this post You can call but do not sms questions.

The price is for flight. You have to add luggage and meal for the flight. It is not an option because it is a long 8 hours flight and surely you cannot travel light due to heavy umrah luggage.

Important advise: Make sure the visa is available during that date and for first timer, get an umrah package from travel agents.

Previous posts on umrah:

• Cheap Umrah Air Ticket (Kuala Lumpur – Jeddah)
• Visa for Umrah
• Great Adventure for Birthday

The technology in printing is still the same with the time I was in school.

I bought many things from internet such as _______ (too many, I’ll fill it when I got time).

My favourite place to buy:

• Lelong.com.my (It has rating system and sellers have options to be verified. It also have safetrade but for a small fee)
• Ebay.com (It has rating system and payment by paypal is protected. If the good did not arrived, just file a complain with paypal and you will get your money back)
• Mudah.my (It does not have verification system so some other checking measure should be used)
• Lowyat.net (Some sellers have successful trade listing to vouch for them. The seniority in the forum in term the number of posts does give confident in dealing with them)
• and other place like FTZ, bicyclebuysell.com, etc

If rating, verification and other sort of system that ensure the trustworthiness of a seller are not available, there are some signs to consider before dealing with an online seller:

Good signs

• Showing pictures of actual products
• Cash on delivery is an option
• Willing of giving additional information like phone number, addresses, etc
• Accept trade in with other stuff

Bad Signs

• Dealing by postage only
• Do not publish actual picture of the item
• Price too low compare with market price
• Bank account does not belong to the seller

Checking

• Asked seller to contact you using FB massage then you will know who is the seller
• Google his name and account numbers: If the seller cheated before something might come out

Currently, I’m waiting for more than 10 small packages from China, Hong Kong and UK. All were bought from ebay. This one arrived today.

Feel free to ask in the comment section if you have any questions.

Communication was a biggest problem but the Thai blood that run through our veins spoke for us. Meeting relatives from my mother’s side made me thinking more about my mother.

We’ll be back.

Arrived at Ko Yao Yai after 45 minutes boat ride.

10 minutes boat ride from Ko Yao Yai to Ko Yao Noi terrified a non-swimmer like me.

Religious pondok started by my great grandfather in Ko Yao Noi island.

We prefer Kamala Beach compare to Patong Beach. We managed to get a nice chalet run by Muslim for THB1000 which is just 10 meters from the beach. I heard the owner quoted THB2000 when asked by western tourist.

Last night at Nakhon Si Tammarat. We had a nice dinner at Tha Sala beach.

• I cycled 125km
• I played a round of golf
• I played 2 hours of badminton
• I jogged 5 km

but I did not lose any weight! My BMI is still at 27.

Maybe I’m building up muscle!