Ibn Battuta — "I was once caught in a sandstorm in this land. The sand was so thick I could not…"

"The dogs in this land are very fierce. They bark at strangers and try to bite them. I had to carry a stick to fend them off."

"I set out alone finding no companion to cheer the way with friendly intercourse. and no party of travelers with whom to associate."

"The women of this city are very beautiful, but they are not modest."

"I saw a man in this city who had a third eye on his forehead. He was a very wise man, and people came from far and wide to seek his counsel."

"I was once offered a marriage proposal in this land, but I declined, for the women were too stout, and their customs too different from my own."