The Rihla ~ to wrap things up

Years later, in 1354, I returned to Fez where Sultan Abu 'Inan listened with a look of enthusiastic look mixed with curiosity to my stories of great travel.  He deemed my stories worth being written down to be remembered, so I dictated my writing to Ibn Juzayy, a scholar/poet.  It was given a less than exciting name of "The Rihla"  I worked in the Moroccan legal system as a judge.  So far its popularity remains minimal, i'm not even sure how many people know it exists.  Each criminal I put away, I hope I made my parents proud.  Funny that even as an old man, my childhood wanting to impress my parents somehow remains unchanged.

People who know me ask me: "Why did you decide to spend your entire life traveling the world?  Was it worth it?"  Im not quite sure, but something about the unknown just waiting to be discovered fascinates me.  And was it worth it? Absolutely.

How cool would it be id about 700 years from now, The Rihla gains popularity and students research me and my journey?  nah- maybe thats just wishful thinking, but who knows?

Travel Log #7

While Traveling around the world, I like to write journal entries of some of my more favorite places i've been to, and some crazy things that have happened, and well, here it is.

My memory of China is not so good, so I apologize if this recount seems sparse or impersonal.  Maybe I was starting to become homesick or something, but even China for all its greatness and outstanding achievements in the arts and great law enforcement making it very safe for travelers just seemed really... boring.  By this point in time, the idea of discovery and prosperity just lost its glamour...  

Anyway, as I attempted to recover and recuperate and later hit the road, in Gaza (I believe it was spring then) I had heard about some "plague" going around.  At the time, I hadn't seen anything yet, so I chuckled at the worry some people because at the time, as far as I could tell, it was a minor outbreak.  

I wouldn't have been laughing if I had known how many people were already dead.

As traveled through Gaza, I found it to be deserted, someone told me the daily death toll was counted into the thousands.  I traveled to Cairo and was told that the death rate was at 21,000 a day, my God!  I've witnessed my closest friends being killed by this vile flee spread disease.  There was death all around me, and it really only takes several days of that and you change dramatically.  A year later I learned my mother had died of the plague.  I returned to Tangier and visited her grave (Im thankful that in death she was fortunate enough to receive her own grave, there was so many people to bury that they RAN OUT OF ROOM in the ground so they just burned cropses).  Fiery, driven, assertive, great woman, great woman.  She always knew how to make me smile.  I didn't stay in Tangier for long, I continued to travel and spent my final days of traveling around Africa, in places like Mali renowned for its gold.  

Travel Log #6

While traveling around the world, I like to write journal entries of some of my more favorite places i've been to, and some crazy things that have happened, and well, here it is.  

After traveling through several cities, I decided to make an lengthy side trip to Constantinople.  I traveled there in the company of Princess Bayalun, the daughter of the Byzantine emperor Andronicus in who had been married, for political and economic reasons, to the Muslim Khan of the Golden Horde, as his third wife and she was returning to Constantinople for the birth of her child. She cried often for whatever reason, but it was my job to get her there safely.  

Fast forwarding a little bit,  I met Sultan Muhammad ibn Tughluq, and I wanted to impress him so I could get my first steady job as a judge.  I showed him my great wealth and credentials, and with then with help of my knowledge I learned in those long stays in Bhagdad and Damascus studying law served me well. Later however, I found this judge to be quite a character so I tried to leave as fast as I could with out angering him.  In the end, the paranoid punk denounced me in court for studying under a teacher who he speculated to be a plotter.  Note the word speculated there.  I tried to keep a low profile and study under a different teacher.  When he heard of this, he asked If I would rejoin him and serve him.  I declined his offer and moved on to travel. 40 days later, Sultan Muhammad Ibn Tughluq sent me saddled horses, slave girls and boys, robes and a sum of money. So again I presented myself to the sultan, wondering what he wanted, and turns out he wants me to go as his ambassador to the emperor of China, because he knew my love of travel.    What a compliment, guess that guy know how to pick some good ambassadors, huh?

Travel Log #5

While traveling around the world, I like to write journal entries for some of my more favorite places i've been to, and some crazy things that have happened, and well, here it is.

After crossing the Red Sea, I arrived in Somalia, and oh man let me tell you.  Somalia is a huge city with a great bazaar, but its the dirtiest, smelliest, most repulsive place I have ever been to.  I hate that place.  I travelled along the East African coast to cities such as Mombasa and Kilwa.  In Kilwa, I met the local sultan Abu al-Muzaffar Hasan.  He was a man of great humility.  I even saw him talking and eating amongst his poor brethren.  If leaders took the time to sit down with the common people and take the time to know what was truly in the people's interest, we would all have much better countries to live in.  The world needs more Abu al-Muzaffar Hasans.  Later, I can't remember where, but someone had told me about a place called Oman and in Oman was a Sultan who was extremely generous to Muslim scholars.  So with that promise of royal generousity, I headed out to Oman, but it would take me 3 years to get there.  

I made my way back to Cairo, then around the east coast of the Mediterranean through Gaza and Hebron, then to a Genoese ship bound for of Anatolia, then boarded a second ship across the black sea to Crimea.  Never should have done that, this ship ride made me hate sea travel for the rest of my life.    We went strait through a huge storm, I wish I could find out what was going through the captain's head when he decided to steer us through that ordeal.  However, God was merciful that day and we safely arrived in the Mongol Kipchak Khanate.  By this time I had accumulated a personal entourage, good amount of horses, several hot wives and concubines.  Not so bad for the little boy from Tangier huh?

Travel Log #4

While traveling around the world, I like to write journal entries for some of my more favorite places i've been to, and some crazy things that have happened, and well, here it is.

After crossing the Tigris river and other cities, I found myself in the city of Bhagdad.  When I arrived, the city was not of the beauty it was in its glory days that I had heard about while traveling, Some 69 years ago, Mongols paved a path of death and destruction in their hopes to conquer the whole world  or something like that, and they left catastrophic damage in their wake to the city.  Nonetheless, the magnificent bazaars were laid out beautifully.  The of  code social behavior in Bhagdad was exactly the same to that in Tangier, it was a pleasant reminder of home.  While staying in Bhagdad, the memories of visiting the Holy City were so vivid and wonderful I was determined to return to Mecca and make a second hajj.  Just as I was preparing to leave, the Sultan himself invited me to accompany him in his caravan which was heading north.  I accepted, curiosity being my main motivation.  For about 10 days I travelled with Sultan Abu Sa'id until I decided we would temporarily go our separate ways.  I thanked him for the food and water etc and went through the cities of Shiraz, Isfahan (which I thought was AWESOME), and then to Tabriz.  I regret being only having stayed 1 day in Tabriz because I didn't have the chance to meet any of their scholars.  However,  If I was to receive the supplies and food for my second intended hajj, I would need rejoin the caravan and to go to my required audience with the Sultan.  I fell sick again as I headed to Mecca once more with supplies in hand, but that didn't dampen the excitement and joy I felt as my eyes indulged themselves on the great Kaba.  I was exhausted.  I stayed in mecca for a good long year or so, recuperating from what seemed to me at the time as an epic journey.  Soon I would hit the road again to explore what lay beyond the Red Sea.

Travel Log #3

While traveling around the world, I like to write journal entries for some of my more favorite places i've been to, and some crazy things that have happened, and well, here it is.

After traveling in the Hajj caravan for several weeks, we arrived in Madinah.  We spent four nights in the Holy Mosque, resting and recuperating for our last leg of the journey towards Mecca.  The Mosque was beautiful, Qurans were stacked all over, offering great Muslim knowledge to others, many young scholars were studying, others singing heavenly songs of praise to God, it was wonderful.  We all got back on our camels and eagerly moved on.  After a little bit, there it was, the Holy City of Mecca.  I did my Muslim duties at the Kaba, and praised God who I could feel was with us during the period of our visit.  While my original intention was just to visit the Holy city, that was not the case by any means, I was a traveller and traveling is what would become my new passion and reason in life. After praying five times a day, everyday, as far back as I can remember, visiting the ka'ba for the first time stands out to me, as one of the most memorable moments of my life, I was ecstatic as I repeated the actions of the prophet who had gone and done the same thing I did about uhh... what, 600 years ago?  Around there?  Anyway it was a blast.  I now consider the pillar of making a hajj not even a requirement, it was my honor and proud responsibility as a Muslim to have taken upon such a righteous and wonderful quest of traveling to the Holy City.  So with my final goal accomplished, and my passion for travel realized, I decided I would take my time to travel the most scenic route possible back home.  

Travel Log #2

While traveling around the world, I like to write journal entries for some of my more favorite places i've been to, and some crazy things that have happened, and well, here it is.

As you travel you learn the manners and courtesies of the road.  I'll never forget the first time I became homesick, I felt so lonely.  One of the pilgrims saw I was feeling down, and treated me with a kindness and hospitality I never, ever would have expected to come out of anyone besides my own family.  I hoped on a camel caravan, headed for Alexandria.  Meanwhile I had a dream, almost like a reflection on what I just went through, and it was then I realized my passion for travel, I would voyage just for the sake of voyaging.  In Cairo, it was then I experienced the epic proportions of a "big" Muslim civilization.  A great bureaucracy and economy encouraged peace and prosperity in trade with Asia.  Cairo was such a wonderful place, I had such a hard time leaving, but my final and ultimate goal was Mecca.  

I pressed on, I crossed the Sinai peninsula and through the cities of Palestine and Syria, enjoying and savoring each moment I traveled, each one unique as I felt each step brought me closer to a new great experience the road to anywhere had to offer.  I eventually arrived in Damascus.  It was there that I joined up with the annual wave of pilgrims on their way to Mecca.  The mosques in Damascus were INSANE.  The Umayyad's mosque was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen up until that point in my life.  Tomorrow held Medina in store, and eventually I would arrive in the holy city of Mecca.