My first international tour- India to UK- 1

It was an year ago when I had to visit UK from India. I knew it was going to be really boring as I was supposed to travel this long way, all alone. But there was somewhere a kid inside me, which was jumping higher and higher because of the reason that domestic flights always ended within an hour or two but this was going to last as long as ten hours which I always wanted ;). So I will have a lot many countries to visit from the sky (I was a fool in thinking so, as I forgot the fact that the longer distance flights will fly higher too, so hardly anything will be visible and I was travelling during monsoon, so half the way would be covered with the dark clouds). But any way this kid inside me was happy to be above the clouds and having lot many pictures this time because the earlier ones have gone with the lost mobile :(.

Any ways the day had come and I was at the airport. i reached really very early today, because I have already missed flight twice once due to heavy traffic and another due to over confidence that I will make it ;(. But they were domestic so it was okay, this time I could not afford to be late. So flight was at 1pm but I reached at 6am only. Now I was waiting at the airport waiting area outside the port. Calling my friends in Delhi to come if they are free, but ofcourse the place it quite outside and they were getting ready to go to their offices, I did not inform them earlier as I thought I would just reach around time only as buses generally get slow after crossing Alwar due to long line of big transporting trucks, but today the way was all clean and bus reached two hours early than the estimated time.

Finally one of my friends was free today and she came and I am really thankful to her, because I could go for the nature’s call, only after she visited me, otherwise it would have really been hard for me. Anyways ,We had a lot of chats. Revisited old memories and then I went into the airport. Just checked in, luggage was taken to the other-side and we were free now. Now I was just roaming around in the waiting area and this was the shop which attracted me the most, due to the traditional touch.

Then while going to sit in the plane, this was the view from inside, (I know you all know it all as it is nothing new for you, but it was exciting for me since it was my first international visit).

And I was in the flight, finally… I was excited right now, that journey is so long and I will get to see so many things down, from the window. Excited to enjoy different colors of nature. Though there were many thoughts, questions, ups and downs of feelings were going on, but I was trying to concentrate more on enjoying it, otherwise it would have been really really hard to keep sitting in one position for so long.

In between, all these thoughts… the plane starts its journey… the following.

And the flight takes off, finally… Delhi view.

Next is the Delhi View from the sky… though experience with indigo was not great but I was trying to focus more on the scenery down there rather than hospitality of crew members or behaviour of some of the fellow passengers or food quality.

And talking to the clouds now… while the rivers flowing… I think it was somewhere over Pakistan…

Then somewhere over Afghanistan… as I tried to match with the satellite map…

The above scenery continues for long I think entire Afghanisthan now onwards is covered with this kind of hills. In Afghanistan some ice kind of white thing was also visible but later in Iran it converted into greenary somewhere and also colonies were visible as the following picture.

In Iran this kind of landscapes are visible around settlements for long distance.

Some where on the way after passing through long way without any visibility down, therefore relaxed with a nap.

Again seems to be landscapes near Caspian Sea visible, in the north just before the sea, the Garabogazkol Basin can be seen.

Then while crossing over the southern part of the Caspian Sea.

Here, it is either Iran or Turkey. Similar landscapes in both the countries for long distance.

And then Turkey is there… time for interval.

Some landscapes of Turkey near Istambul.

Somewhere near the Istanbul International Airport.

These boats are running in the Sea of Marmara, which falls between the Istanbul coast one side and Aegean Sea on the other side. In the above picture you can see a drain coming from the other side that is Bosporus Strait, coming from the Black Sea visible on the extreme north of the picture.

Actually, Black Sea is connected to Mediterranean Sea through Aegean Sea. Sea of Marmara is connected with Aegean Sea with Strait of Dardanelle, and the way from Black Sea is navigable to Atlantic Ocean.

The Kucukcekmece Lake (Turkey) is visible here, near the Sea of Marmara.

And finally we landed at the much awaited (because I was too tired to imagine) mid-destination Istanbul International Airport.

The story continues in the next post. See you friends!!

Copyright: Rachana Dhaka (both pics and write up)