Up In The Air .... Part 42

Up In The Air moments comes to you from FL330 above the South China Sea enroute from Melbourne to Hong Kong, on board Cathay Pacific's CX134!

The haze of Melbourne, earlier this morning, has given way to absolutely clear skies over the South China Sea...

The shadows of the clouds on the sea are amazing...

Nature never ceases to amaze, and it looks so peaceful from up here...

But down below, sovereignty of these waters is deeply contested. And nations come up with fanciful and esoteric arguments in support of their claims such as the Nine-Dash Line...

And I hope not, but there could be a potential for international conflicts down there...

And that could potentially be nasty!

Descent into Hong Kong begins...

And the outlying islands emerge almost magically out of the haze...

And I am eagerly peering out of the window waiting for the Hong Kong skyline to show up!

Over The Great Outback...

As we took off from Melbourne, I knew I had to plan my movie watching strategically so as to catch glimpses of Australia's Great Outback. But I could not resist the Up In The Air vistas immediately after take off...

The Victorian countryside is so lovely and green...

Though it would have looked much better if the sun was out...

The massive wing of the Cathay Pacific A330...

At cruising level over the border of Victoria and New South Wales...

We should be approaching the Outback soon...

And here we are over the cloudless Outback...

...though there is a bit of a haze!

And it all clears up in a while!

The contours of the Outback are indeed beautiful and rugged...

And who says a desert can't be beautiful!

Those white patches are probably huge salt pans!

Amazing views from up here...

Crossing over to the Timor Sea!

Over Indonesian waters...

And I am blessed with the views of lovely clouds!

And the Rolls Royce thrust their way through as we set course for Chep Lap Kok!

Hong Kong Beckons...

And after two lovely days in Melbourne, Hong Kong beckons...

...And it's a long way to Hong Kong!

Ready to take off!

'A mile of highway will take you a mile, but a mile of runway will take you anywhere.'

That's what this photo seems to say...

Leaving Tullamarine far behind!

I completely enjoying my short visit here and I wish I can come back soon!

Up In The Air!

Exotic Tasmania isn't too far and that's on my bucket-list too...

My IFE to begin with - a number of international, Australian and Hong Kong newspapers...

And the Financial Times and the Wall Street Journal have huge articles on the introduction of GST in India...

Indeed Prime Minister Modi has deftly untangled this proverbial Gordian Knot that had confounded economists and policymakers back home in India, for the last few decades!

Mapping my way on the phone, while I catch up on movies on Cathay's IFE!

Over Indonesian waters...

And I can't wait to be in magical Hong Kong in a few hours. The urban energy, that raw vibe of the city is so infectious and contagious, if I may say so. Hong Kong instantly enthrals and excites you from the moment you land here and I have felt that way ever since my first visit here in 2010!