Up In The Air .... Part 46

The largely uneventful flight from Mumbai into Bangkok gave me a lot of time to rest and catch up on some much deserved sleep. But then as we came in to land at Bangkok's Suwarnabhumi Airport, I was greeted by some amazing Up In The Air vistas...

Thick Monsoon clouds along the approach into BKK...

The greenery around Bangkok is amazing!

Though I wish it were a bit clearer...

At FL110...

The clouds are lovely...

A lot in one photo - the large Boeing 737 engine, white fluffy clouds, habitations and rice-fields below...

And it gets hazy...

The haze is my worst enemy...

But the Sun does eventually shine through...

Patches of light on the ground, passing through gaps in the clouds...

And clearer views of the rice-fields...

Lovely...

On the final approach!

Up In The Air .... Part 45

And after the boring flight from Delhi, it was time for the descent into magical, Monsoon-ed Mumbai, some amazing Up In The Air moments!

It's quite misty today, with moisture hanging in the air...

We are approaching Runway 14-32 instead of the usual 09-27 today...

Overflying Uran right now...

There I can see the Nhava Sheva port...

A clearer view of Nhava Sheva container port...

Gharapuri or Elephanta island is a natural breakwater for the port!

The oil jetty of Bharat Petroleum...

Descending over Chembur...

The Chembur Golf Club!

And the LBS Marg! Mumbai, here I am - finally at home, but just about 16 hours!

Loving The Monsoons In Full Bloom, Again...

Whoa!

I am back home again, and seriously, nothing feels like home, the sights, the sounds and the smells and to beat it all, the very romantic Monsoonish feeling. And the swanky Terminal 2 gave me a very warm welcome with a quick immigration clearance, no queues.

Waiting for my bags...

And the display reminds me it is the beginning of the festival season, and Lord Ganesha is there to shower his blessings on his...

Checking out some interesting books in the bookshop...

I was famished, and I picked up a sandwich from Theobrama's, wow, they've opened a counter at the domestic departure gates. Man, I so wish they had eggs benedict here. Ohhh, I saw their magical brownies and picked up a few to take with me to Delhi and back to Songdo on Tuesday!

As I sipped on my Assam tea, I relaxed by the giant T2 windows, Plane Spotting. Indeed there is a very different feel to Plane Spotting in the Monsoons!

Up In The Air .... Part 44

As the trip back home continues, it is time for some Up In The Air moments as I fly from Bangkok to Mumbai...

Liftoff from Suwarnabhumi...

...as Bangkok wakes up for the beginning of the weekend!

And the sunrays filter in through the thick cloud cover!

The Chao Phraya River...

And that one magical sight that makes you wish that time froze...

The golden sun rays make the ground below shimmer like gold...

Headings set...

And we fly over thick Monsoon clouds...

And when I woke up, we were descending into Mumbai, over the lush green Western Ghats...

The Monsoons have a magical effect on the Ghats, it turns the mountain range into a veritable hotspot teeming with life!

Even the steep escarpments are lush green...

But there is a haze, a haze caused by the moisture in the air...

The Thane Creek, and beyond that is home... Home sweet home!

Magical look of the mangroves...

And here, I am in India, till Tuesday morning!