MINA: Arab News went into the heart of Mina on Saturday to haggle with some pilgrims at a market run mainly by Russian speakers from Turkmenistan before finally managing to locate some British pilgrims (more on that later) and going back to the Jamrat Bridge to talk to a leading Health Ministry official.

Most Hajis, if not all, have changed out of their ihram (the two-piece white cloth pilgrims put on at the start of their journey) as this diary nears completion. It was a glorious day, with the sun shining down on the scores of people in the area.

The day was clearly being used as an excuse for pilgrims to make a quick buck as the city of white tents turned into a bustling market area. Stalls lined the streets, with trinkets such as worry beads, cheap silver rings and furry hats on display. Some sellers were even hawking caviar, demonstrating the strong Russian presence in the area. Yet there was still a strong cosmopolitan feel to the place. South Asians, Arabs and Nigerians, such as Khadouna, were also seizing the opportunity to make some money.

“It has been a good day so far. I have made about SR500, which is not bad at all,” said Khadouna, who was performing Haj for the first time.

The multitude of different nationalities in the market was not only limited to the sellers, but also the various pilgrims browsing the stalls in search of a bargain. American pilgrims Tahira and Samina, from New York state but of Pakistani origin, were definitely two ladies having fun looking at the goods on display. Both were performing Haj for the first time, and had differing views on the experience.

“This is my first Haj and I’ve really enjoyed it. It’s like I came here for a vacation. In the old times this is hard, but this time, it is fine,” said Samina. “We’re not complaining but it’s still not easy,” added Tahira.

It was at this point that Arab News somehow managed to bump into a group of pilgrims from the United Kingdom and Ireland. Mourad was performing Haj for the first time and had arrived in Dublin from France only three months ago in search of work. When asked whether he had been successful, he said no, a timely reminder that the unemployment situation in the British Isles shows no immediate sign of receding.

“(There are) different people from different parts of the world. You can see lots of faces and it’s the first time I’ve seen so many Muslims in the same place at the same time,” Mourad told Arab News. He added that he had found the Tawaf (circling of the Kaaba) and walking between Safa and Marwa the most challenging part of the Haj due to the crowds of people.

Mourad was accompanied by 48-year-old Simon, a flame-haired convert from Manchester. He converted to Islam about four years ago at the same time as his son, who was aged 18 at the time. He found staying patient the most challenging aspect of his first Haj.

By sheer coincidence, Arab News got chatting to another trio of converted Muslims, all women from Northern Irish capital Belfast, two named Sharon and the other Aaliya. Like Simon, they were also on their first Haj and found the experience gave them a real sense of peace.

“We can’t get over it. Despite the amount of people, it’s still the silence and calmness of everything,” said the younger 30-year-old Sharon (the older one coyly declined to give her age). She added that she had converted to Islam four years ago when she found out by chance there was a mosque in Belfast. “Just people in general, by their example ... everything just connected,” she added.

Bidding Mina goodbye, Arab News went onward to the nearby Jamrat Bridge to witness the second day of stoning the Satan. There was definitely a much more crowded feel to the place, in stark comparison to the more relaxed atmosphere on Friday. On such a scorching day, surely it was inevitable that some pilgrims would feel ill and need treatment? According to Director-General of the Emergency Departments and Administrations at the Ministry of Health Dr. Tariq Al-Arnouthy the emergency services were prepared for every worst-case scenario. “Nice and smooth” was how he described the day at the Jamrat Bridge so far, adding that medical staff had dealt with normal cases including exhaustion and people with chronic illnesses.

“We have 16 emergency centers located across all the floors going down. We have emergency plans and we activate them when they are needed. (They are) dealing with all emergency disasters. You name it. Any disaster you can think of, whether it is crowds, or rains or floods. We are prepared to deal with any casualties and disasters.”

Riding back to the camp in Muzdalifah, Arab News noticed the sea of rubbish left by pilgrims, which shows no sign of being cleared up anytime soon. Sadly, it remains the case the environmental impact of the pilgrimage is on an immense scale and must be one of the main focuses for Haj authorities in the coming years.