London Sunrise at Altitude

Its 6am at 15,000ft. Steadily descending towards Heathrow airport in an Airbus 8380. On this particular flight I was returning from Dubai, which was just a stop over from Colombo Sri Lanka, which was also a stop over from Mali in the Maldives.. So a hell of a long flight, with a totally frazzled brain from a total lack of sleep on each of those flights for the past 24 hours.

Despite the lack of sleep (which totalled 36 hours by the time I got home) I was still able to appreciate a stunning sunrise over London as the plane banked, preparing to line up for its final approach. There's something about sunrises and sunsets that I just enjoy ten times more from a plane. The altitude give you this wonderfully fresh perspective, and since you don't get to enjoy a sight like that every day (unless you are a pilot) it makes it all the more special.

It reminds me of a flight home I once made, where we left just before sunset and chased it the whole way back. The entire flight for nearly 3 hours we got to watch the sun set. THAT was cool. It makes me want to get on one of those flights that flies in the totality of an eclipse allowing you to enjoy it much longer. But I think you have to be a scientific researcher or a millionaire to hitch a ride on one of those!

Looking at shots like this always gives me itchy feet. The desire to travel somewhere. In the past year I have done a fair bit more travel than I usually do and maybe its given me the bug, but I long for another trip. I do have one coming up in October, but I am impatient!

If you could step on a plane today and go anywhere, anywhere at all.. what would be your destination of choice? For me it would have to be Mauritius. I've never been, but they have beautiful beaches and good diving.. and I really would like to go diving right now!