Up to three million Muslims descended upon the plains of Arafat as part of Hajj. Lines of buses crowded the streets, whilst throngs of people flooded in between the cracks.
The day of Arafat is one of the most important dates of the Muslim calendar, and a crucial part of Hajj. For us, the day began at 12:13am.
We set out from Mina just after midnight, hoping to avoid traffic congestion - most pilgrims only head for Arafat after dawn prayers. All the same, it took us three hours to travel 15km by bus, and many pilgrims had already arrived.
Where heavy rains had drenched so many pilgrims at Mina and led to the deaths of around 50 people in Jeddah, the weather in Arafat was sweltering by midday.
Lines of buses crowded the streets, whilst throngs of people flooded in between the cracks.
In an effort to ease the difficulties many pilgrims face, Saudi authorities have installed drinking fountains offering sterilised water, and sprinklers releasing mist into the air around the area of Mount Arafat.
Fruit vendors set up shop along Arafat's streets, while many companies and private organisations distributed food as a goodwill gesture towards the pilgrims.
The atmosphere at Arafat was a mix between reverance and carnival. Rows of people prayed together, held their hands in the air asking God's forgiveness, and chanted religious phrases. Elaborately decorated camels were situated near the plains of Arafat, paired with photographers wielding polaroid cameras, for that perfect hajj memorabilia.
Photographers deftly navigated the crags and outcroppings of Mount Arafat itself - also known as Jabal Rahman (Mountain of mercy) as well, to ply their tourist-savvy trade.
The crowd at Arafat was so thick, it became very easy to get separated from each other, or just lost. Both happened to us. But what else can be expected, with millions of people coming together in this small place.
Crowd control and traffic flow are obviously crucial to Saudi executing the annual pilgrimage without major incidents.
This year, Saudi banned the use of small vehicles for pilgrims, meaning anyone intending to do Hajj had to be aboard a group bus. By 2011, the kingdom plans to have finished a railway to link Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifah to Mecca. It estimates the rail provide transport quivalent to 53,000 vehicles.
The real test for crowd control, though, will be when pilgrims first symbolically stone the devil on Friday in Mina.
By sunset on Thursday, we and the millions of pilgrims had hit the road again, heading to Muzdalifah to spend the night. Tomorrow, the big Hajj day awaits.
