₦airaland Forum

Arrival at Mecca
We got into Mecca, checked in at Ibis Styles around 12:20 pm and headed to a local mosque for Jumaah prayers just next door from the hotel. The hotel has a complimentary bus service to and from Haram which we took at around 2:45pm to begin the Umrah process proper.

Umrah Activities at Haram
We got to Haram just in time for Asr, prayed and then began the Umrah proper. We hired a wheelchair as my wife is heavily with child and do had to the Tawaf at the upper floor of the Ka'abah. Each circuit took us like 15minutes to complete and that meant we were done with Tawaf just in time for Maghrib

Salaam everyone.

The Trip Proper
So we left for Jeddah on the Medview flight from Kaduna; flight left about 3 hours later than stated, went through Kano and finally took off to Jeddah. There was no announcement for the meeqat unfortunately so we were not able to change to the Ihram and make proper Niyyah till we landed in Jeddah. According to scholarly opinion, this attracts a fidyah (sheep sacrifice) both for me and my wife which can be paid for at any of the Al Rajhi banks branches around the kingdom.

After like 2 hours passport control, we booked for a taxi for 150SAR (15k naira),were finally in Ihram state and reciting Talbiyah on our way to Mecca. This was around 11am local time with estimated time to arrive the hotel by 12:15 pm. This meant we missed the Juma'at salat unfortunately for us but Allah knows best.

Alhamdulillah I just completed my Umrah yesterday Friday 29/12/2017. I thought it wise to share a few tips as there has been little info on here as regards Umrah planning. I will try as much as possible to give a detailed breakdown of the process and hopefully this will help any intending traveller in future Insha Allah.

The Visa Process:
I contacted a friend of mine that linked me with an effective Umrah visa agent (not NAHCON approved) that sorted me out within the shortest of periods (2 days). The visa was for me and my wife and it cost us 90,000 naira each making a total of 180,000 naira.

Air Ticket;
We plan to go to Dubai from KSA after Umrah so we only bought a one way ticket from Medview for about 180k/person. We now organised a one way EmiratesAirline from Madinah to Dubai for 125k/person in addition to Dubai to Abuja for 145k/person. A total of 450k/person but this was coz we intend staying for a few nights in Dubai.

Accommodation:
The plan was to get to Mecca on Friday morning and complete Umrah, then go to Madinah Saturday for Ziyarah, and leave for Dubai from Madinah on Sunday. I made some bookings through booking.com; Ibis Styles in Mecca for like 20k/night plus buffet breakfast for 2, and X Platinum hotel in Madinah for 18k/night without breakfast though.

emmbet:
Hi Agathabishen, what a nice thread.
I did sesame seeds cultivation last year but the yield was not so good. I am considering the ginger this year.

Pls can you give a breakdown of ginger cultivation process from planting to harvesting?
Like when to apply fertilizer and type of fertilizer, when to feed and other relevant information to ensure optimum yield.
And the best time to harvest.
Also the pesticides/insecticides to use and when to apply them.
Thanks

Do you mind sharing some info on your sesame seed farm? Where was the farm located, how much you spent, what was the yield, and how big was the farm? Cheers

So I have been having a recurring case of boils around my armpit area and groin area for the past 10+ years. I usually treat it with a dose of Beechams ampiclox tabs which was good and fine until I traveled to England for uni. Unfortunately for me antibiotics aren't given to patients over-the-counter unless you have a doctor's prescription. So I had one of the most painful occurrence of a boil around my buttocks area (yeah really!) a couple of days before my birthday in the summer of 2009. I had to go into my local clinic (GP) and after initial consultations, I was prescribed an antibiotic, Flucloxacillin, which helped to treat it way. Fast-forward to today, I still have bouts of boil around my groin and armpit area (no more buttocks thankfully) every now and again which is so distressing not to talk of being extremely painful. My situation made me do a little research where I went straight to the NHS website and I seem to be on the right track to taking care of it once and for all. According to the article which I will attach below, apparently regular occurence of boil can be beacuse you are a 'staph carrier'; meaning you have inherrent staph bacteria in your nose or skin which might not be harmful but then makes you more exposed to boils. I have gone to the E.N.T to have a nose swab and I will be getting my results in 3 days from now. Hopefully I should be able to do away with this condition for good. Just thought I should put it here for anyone that might need the info.

[b]Health Information

Boils, Carbuncles and Furunculosis

Boils (furuncles) and carbuncles are pus-filled infected lumps on the skin. They usually occur as a one-off in a healthy person. Treatment commonly involves draining the pus and taking a course of antibiotics. If you have recurring boils you may be advised to have tests to check for an underlying cause.

What are boils and carbuncles?

A boil (furuncle) is an infection of a hair follicle. (Most of the skin is covered with tiny hairs that grow out of hair follicles.) It is usually caused by a germ (bacterium) called Staphylococcus aureus. A boil looks like a small red lump on the skin that is tender. The surrounding skin may be swollen and inflamed. Thick, infected fluid called pus fills the centre of the boil.
A carbuncle occurs when a group of hair follicles next to each other become infected. It is like a multiple boil.
Chronic furunculosis is a condition where you have crops of boils that occur over a period of time. The boils can develop continuously, or occur from time to time.
Who develops boils and where do they occur?

Boils can develop in any hairy area of skin. In particular, in sites where there is friction, or where the skin is sweaty. For example, they can appear on the neck, face, armpit, arms, buttocks and around the back passage (anus). A boil in the ear canal may be very painful. Carbuncles most commonly develop on the back of the neck or on the thighs.

A boil or carbuncle can occur in anyone at any age. However, they are uncommon in children and most commonly occur in teenagers and young adults. You have a higher risk of developing a boil or carbuncle if you:

Have other skin conditions that may cause you to scratch and damage the skin - for example, eczema or scabies.
Are extremely overweight (obese).
Have a poor immune system.
Have an illness making you frail or generally unwell.
Are a carrier of staphylococcal germs (bacteria) - see below.
What is the treatment for a boil or carbuncle?

Small boils (furuncles) may subside and go without any treatment. You can ease pain by covering the boil with a flannel soaked in hot water. Do this for 30 minutes, 3-4 times a day. (Take care not to have the water too hot which may burn.)
Larger boils and carbuncles are best treated by letting the infected fluid (pus) out. Sometimes this is done by a doctor who drains the pus using a needle and syringe. Sometimes a small cut in the skin is needed to let out the pus (incision and drainage). The wound is covered with a dressing until the skin heals. The skin usually heals quickly once the pus has been drained.
A course of an antibiotic medicine, such as flucloxacillin, is sometimes prescribed in addition to draining the pus to help clear the infection from the skin.
What if they are not treated?

A boil (furuncle) may become larger and more tense and painful as more infected fluid (pus) accumulates. Typically, after several days (sometimes after a week or more) the boil will burst and pus will leak on to the skin. The pain tends to ease when the boil bursts. Once the pus has gone, the infection in the surrounding skin tends to fade away gradually over several days. A scar may be left at the site of the boil.

A carbuncle tends to increase in size for a few days - up to 3-10 centimetres across, sometimes more. After 5-7 days, various pus-filled lumps appear on the surface and pus leaks on to the skin. It then may break down and form an ulcer on the skin surface before the infection gradually subsides. The skin then gradually heals leaving a deep scar.

Whilst there is infection and pus in the skin, there is a risk that some germs (bacteria) may spread in the bloodstream to cause infections in other parts of the body. This is uncommon but, if it happens, it can lead to serious infections of a bone, the brain, or other parts of the body.

Recurring boils (chronic furunculosis)

If you develop recurring boils, your doctor may suggest some tests to look for an underlying cause. For example, to check if you have a poor immune system.

One cause of recurring boils if you are otherwise healthy is that you, or someone in your family or household, may be a carrier of staphylococcal germs (bacteria). This means that a certain number of these bacteria live harmlessly on your skin, or in your nose. If you are a carrier you tend to be more prone to skin infections and boils. In particular, these bacteria may quickly invade and multiply in broken skin following a minor cut or injury. Treatment with antibiotics and/or antibiotic nasal cream may clear staphylococcal bacteria from carriers and reduce the chance of boils, or other types of skin infection, from recurring.

http://www.prospectsurgery.nhs.uk/health-information/?arturi=aHR0cDovL2FwaS5wYXRpZW50LmNvLnVrL2NvbnRlbnQvcGlsL2JvaWxzLWNhcmJ1bmNsZXMtYW5kLWZ1cnVuY3Vsb3Npcz9hcGlrZXk9MWQ3Yjg1ZWEtMDIxZi00MTIzYWI1MA==
[/b]

1.5 hectare maize farm leased in Niyya Farms Kaduna state; Cost so far:-
#15,000 for the annual lease
#10,000 for manual clearing
#7,200 for ploughing
#20,000 for manual planting
#5,000 for spraying (powerforce and crackdown)
#9,000 for seeds (Sammaz 37)
#90,000 for fertilizer (8 bags of NPK 20:10:10 and 6 bags of urea)
Total so far: #156,000

Agathabishen:
this is ginger farming season so am uploading pictures of the ginger farming process. enjoy and ask questions

hello I have some quick questions
How big is the farm?
How many tonnes are expected in yield? (Bags)
How much will you be investing from planting to harvest?
How long does it take to harvest from time of planting?
Will you sell it when fresh or dry?

Cheers

Hardeyhemy:
IBURU, kajuru l.g.a

Do you care to share more info? Like the current size/yield of the farm, your advise on best practices, where you get your seeds from, how you market your end produce, etc. I believe putting pictures if you can will be an added advantage for we the knowledge seekers. Cheers

Hardeyhemy:
I am ooo,

Where in Kaduna exactly?

stagger:
Finally got it from a Chinese company at a reduced cost. Thanks for all the ideas.

Pls will you mind sharing details of the company and how much you got it for? Cheers

I'm offering 2.2m.....lemme know if it can fly

The Gt in Murtala Square Kaduna is just a nightmare! I'm following suit to Firstbank coz I knw they hav a no COT charge policy!

sans59: So I intend to go to the uk soon for a month vacation. I will be staying in a hotel with this zip code NW10 7DD. What will be the best way to get there? Train or a cab? Can someone give me an estimate of price and duration from heathrow to the hotel?
Where can I shop for good stuffs like clothes but relate lively cheap clothes ( not necessarily popular brands)
Where are must see sites to visit? And what are the popular clubs, nigerians go to?
Can I use my glo line for bb service there or do I just get like an o2 line there and put on my sim.
What are must eat foods, where can I hook up with the ladies?

Your best bet is to take the national express from heathrow to golders' green and then cab it to your hotel. This shouldn't cost more than £30 max! TK Maxx should be your ideal location to shop since you wanna buy known brands for less, for food shopping needs na tesco get you bros. Then yeah for the girls!! Lol...hit Soho on a friday night and thank me later!

There is springview hotel in zone 4,weekend rate 6k! But which area is the embassy that you'll be heading to?