But this post is not about the diamonds in the sky. It is just a view from the high up in a plane. It was the early morning Delhi-Ahmadabad flight.
I took up my first flight in my late twenties! Compare it with my daughter who took it at two years! By now she has started taking my window seat as well. My nephews who are much younger than me know how much I enjoy sitting on the window and they leave it for me! But not my daughter, not yet.
This was on my flight from Delhi to Ahmadabad. The day break was much more breathtaking but try as I might, I could not capture it. The lights of the plane would reflect in the window and spoil the picture completely. It was only later when it became brighter I stood a chance. I am seriously thinking of buying a point and shoot as they are much more handy in flights than bulky SLRs!
The water body appeared quite close to Ahmadabad. I wonder what it is. As a rule, I hate getting up early but if it is an early morning flight, I don’t mind. All I need is a window seat to keep me happy and occupied.
This post is part of Sky Watch Friday. Do check it out.
After strolling through the Pub Street and the Night Market I managed to hit the bed by mid night. When the alarm went at 4.30 am the next day in spite of being disoriented I did not want to fling the cell phone against the wall. You see, I was going to watch the sunrise at Angkor Wat. I had only one night at Siem Reap, the weather was unsettled but I was anyway going to give it a try. I had kept an umbrella in my bag, just in case all I got was the rain. Sunrise or rain, I was going to give it a try!
I had arranged for a tuktuk with my guide Sophya which would wait for me at 5.00 am at our hotel. I was out by five sharp and there he was waiting for me. It was still dark when we started for Angkor Wat. The ride goes through dense tree cover. I had not expected so many tuktuks going in the same direction. It was a fabulous site to see so many head lights on dark streets. The dark and the moving headlights created a surreal scene.
Dawn at Angkor Wat, Siem Reap, Cambodia
It is a long walk to get to this pond outside the main Wat. Wat means temple both in Thailand and Cambodia. If you want to see all the pillars reflecting you need to take your position to the left of the pond.
Also a lot of people come to watch the dawn (see here in a video) so you need to get there early so that you get a good space to click the picture. I was late but people let me go because of my tripod. I set it and then crouched in the front row to click pictures. I am told the maximum crowd gathers around Chinese New Year and then at times you cannot get close to the pond.
Angkor Wat at Sunrise (Picture from my Nokia X-7)
There are restaurants around the pond and they come to you to say you could have coffee or the breakfast at their stall. As it was the rainy season I did not get a clear sky and the sunrise colors associated with it. But at least it was not completely grey either. More so did not rain! I liked Siem reap so much that I want to go back to Cambodia. Let us see if and when it happens.
This post is part of Sky Watch Friday. Do check them out.
I am not a morning person at all. I used to be at one point. But then I gave up on it completely. Weekends mean getting late up late and that is the biggest incentive for me, other than drinking many cups of tea. But after I started enjoying photography I read about the golden hours! The hours close to dawn and sunset provide a soft light that makes photographs more enticing. And that has been my undoing. I got up at an obscene hour at Royal Hills Golf Resort to click sunrise pictures!
Royal Hills Golf Resort, Nakhon Nayok, Thailand
My Stay at the Royal Hills Golf Resort
I was staying at the Royal Hills Golf Resort at Nakhon Nayok in Thailand (part of ASEAN Media Trip) for one night. It is a huge place with a big golf course. The view from my room that made me peaceful, it was an invitation to forget all the strife of my small world and get lost in nature. I tried clicking the scene from my room at dusk but there were a few trees coming in the view. I wanted to get up at dawn (it was in my notes to self too) the next day and see what I would find. So, for a change the picture you see above has been clicked at dawn. From my room I did not realize that the water body had pink water lilies in it. Now along with the sky I had to click the flowers too!
Pink Water Lily at Royal Hills Golf Resort
However the day was just getting brighter, I was back to clicking the scenery in front of me. It is difficult to say what gave me more pleasure, being out at dawn or spotting these beautiful flowers. I think this time it is a tie between the two.
Early Morning Sky at Royal Hills Golf Resort, Nakhon Nayok, Thailand
To click this picture I waded in the water. I got the idea from the Chinese youngsters who were part of this trip. They came out a little later than me but to get their shots they waded in the water. After a while, I too decided why not! That way I could bring the water lilies prominently into the foreground.
It was a beautiful morning and this should be an incentive for me to get up early on my trips and capture more dawns!
It was monsoon when I visited Siem Reap. The visit to Angkor Wat was not officially on agenda. So I made efforts to get it on my agenda and I was successful too! Well partially successful I should say as weather is something that is beyond anybody’s control!
Sunrise at Angkor Wat
If I do not do anything else today, my day has been made. I went out of schedule to visit Angkor Wat at sunrise. My day started at 4.30 am. I had my umbrella with me. I was determined to go, come rain or sunshine! The rain gods were mildly kind to me. At least there was no rain and there was some kind of a sunrise too. So here is a video of the sunrise at Angkor Wat in Siem Reap Cambodia.
I was warned by others that I had to go in early to get a place near the water body. I was not sure what to expect. Now that I have been there, it really gets crowded and you cannot get near the temple if you do not go early in the morning. And this was not even some special holiday, this was a normal day in the life of Angkor Wat I guess!
There are small shops nearby who try to lure you for breakfast once the sun has gone up high and people have lost interest in it. It sounded like a good idea, only mine was waiting for me at the hotel! My tuktuk driver was also outside waiting to take me back to my hotel Sokha Angkor.
Then I visited the temple again at 8.30 am with the ASEAN Media Group and explored it in greater detail. Siem Reap is is not a place, it is a concept. It is am amazing place. I head back to Bangkok today and them home tomorrow.
I hope you enjoyed the video. It is an amazing place and I guess it is cheaper to visit than many places in India.