Gallery: another tequila sunrise (credit the Eagles)
Awake! for Morning in the Bowl of Night
Has flung the Stone that puts the Stars to Flight:
And Lo! the Hunter of the East has caught
The Sultan’s Turret in a Noose of Light.
Omar Khayyám, The Ruba’iyat of Omar Khayyam (translated by Edward Fitzgerald, 1859)
Somehow, getting up early to watch a sunrise is so much easier when travelling. Of course it helps that the setting is usually both more beautiful and more interesting than the rooftops of our London suburb above which we would normally see it rise.
I’ve taken the theme of Amy’s Lens Artists Challenge this week, ‘Here comes the sun’, quite literally! I’ve compiled a selection of photos taken at or near sunrise in various parts of the world. So yes, here indeed comes the sun.
No two sunrises are alike. Some are more subtle, others are vibrant. Some I may have shared before, possibly in a slightly different edit. But all (I hope) demonstrate the rewards of getting up that bit earlier!
How glorious a greeting the sun gives the mountains
John Muir
This was the early morning view from our hotel deck in Nong Khiaw, Laos. I’d had a rough night (holiday tummy) but this sight was enough to lift my spirits.
This was a bit of serendipity. When staying in a guesthouse on a ridge above Bevagna in Italy, I got up very early to use the bathroom. A glance out of the window had me rushing for my camera and heading outside to capture this view
And here’s another hotel sunrise, this time from Souimanga Lodge in Senegal. This, incidentally, is where I took the photo of a baby mangrove that many people seemed to like in my recent ‘All or nothing‘ post!
Not exactly from a hotel, I took this early morning shot from a houseboat where we’d spent the night on the Kerala Backwaters.
We climbed a sand dune next to our camp to witness the sunrise in the Thar Desert, India.
Staying in a yurt in the desert in Uzbekistan I woke up very early. Leaving my husband sleeping I crept outside to watch the sun rise.
And visiting Palmyra in Syria many years ago I joined a small number of our fellow travellers on a sunrise visit to the ruins.
This is a rather muted sunrise over the Atlas Mountains in Morocco, as seen from a hot air balloon.
On our way to a birdwatching walk near Volcan Arenal in Costa Rica we asked our driver to stop so we could photograph this striking sunrise.
This is yet another hotel sunrise view, this time over Jebel Shams in Oman.
When I went to Abu Dhabi for business my hotel had a small beach. I went out before breakfast one day to photograph the sun rise over the lagoon.
We went on a boat trip from our lodge to watch the sun rise over the Chobe River in Botswana (my feature photos was taken just moments before this one).
Another Botswana sunrise, which I know I’ve definitely shared before but can’t resist including. This one is over the Okavango Delta, from Xugana Island where we stayed.
And finally, a non-sunrise! This was taken mid morning in Tromsø, Norway, in early February. Tromsø sits above the Arctic Circle and at that time of year the sun never rises above the surrounding mountains. But you can tell it is there by the pink tint on the clouds, and a few days later the sun rose for the first time that year and the whole town celebrated!
39 Comments
pattimoed
I am so glad I stopped by, Sarah. What a glorious collection from so many wonderful places. There are many great shots here, but the one of the temple at sunrise in Syria really captured my imagination. 😀😀😀
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Patti. That particular shot was taken on 35mm film and needed a bit of tidying up after scanning as it was grubby and grainy – but was worth the effort!
Anne Sandler
How did I miss this one Sarah! Your photography is so beautiful. You are so lucky to be able to travel so extensively and thanks for taking me along through your images.
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks so much Anne 😊 Yes, we do appreciate how lucky we are to be able to travel so extensively!
SoyBend
I liked the Costa Rica one, Sarah. It’s good that you stopped!
Sarah Wilkie
That sunrise was so amazing that our guide was taking photos too! He said he’d never seen one quite like it and was glad we’d asked to stop 🙂
rkrontheroad
All lovely. Especially like the story of celebrating over the Artic Circle!
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Ruth 🙂 Yes, that was a special time to be in Tromsø. As I mentioned to Tina below, I’ll be back there next May when I should see see the Midnight Sun!
Alison
I can’t believe how well travelled you are Sarah, so many beautiful photos
I really liked the one in Dubai with the boats.
I’m also having trouble leaving comments but seem to have a lot of catching up to do on your posts!
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Alison – especially in persisting despite the WP glitches!
Tina Schell
I smiled at your comment aboutt Norway Sarah – I cannot imagine living in a world without sun! You have many glorious images of sunrises around the world. Loved them all but especially the Abu Dhabi image.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Tina 🙂 I know what you mean about Norway – but I’m going back there next May when the tables will be turned and I’ll see the Midnight Sun!
Teresa
Such magnificent sunsets… love them all Sarah!
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you so much Teresa 🙂
Heyjude
Oddly your site is asking me to log in to post a comment when I know I am always logged in! Anyway I will use the reader to do so. A stunning atmospheric collection Sarah. Like Margaret I only ever catch a sunrise when visiting the loo in the early hours and although I keep saying I must go and photograph one over the sea I am yet to do that. The Senegal photo is really lovely as is the one of the Atlas mountains – both capturing that huge sun!
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks so much for persevering Jude. There is a known bug in the WP system and they are asking people to report issues – see this post from my blogging friend Paul, who mentions some of the issues I’ve had too: https://lifeinmyyears.com/2022/08/24/the-anonymous-bug/
grandmisadventures
lovely collection of sunrises. it makes you understand why artists say light is different in different parts of the world. ps, wordpress didn’t let me comment on your post, I had to go a round about way to get here.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you – yes, I’m often struck by how much the light varies in different locations, and is especially wonderful in certain places (Iceland springs to mind). There seem to be some bugs in the WP system at the moment. Several bloggers have written about the issues and one I know of, Paul, has been in touch with them about it. You might be interested in his post here: https://lifeinmyyears.com/2022/08/24/the-anonymous-bug/
grandmisadventures
thank you! I will check it out 🙂
Alli Templeton
Enchanting images, Sarah. It’s funny you should credit the Eagles, as I couldn’t help feeling (not sure why, but it just struck me this way) that your shot of Souimanga Lodge had something of the cover of Hotel California about it. They’re all fabulously atmospheric, anyway, and it’s lovely to see the colours responding to the sunrise. Worth getting up for!
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Alli 😊 It hadn’t occurred to me about that cover but I can definitely see what you mean – the hazy palm trees silhouetted against a glowing sky!
Alli Templeton
Yes, I think that’s exactly what it is – the same sense of hazy palm trees and similar sky. Lovely anyway! 😊
Rose
Watching sunrises while traveling is like a double-dose of happy inspiration for me. I can ‘feel’ the excitement of a new day in your variety of photos. 🌞
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks so much Rose 🙂 I only just spotted this comment – I think it must have been affected by the WP bug!
Rose
No worries, Sarah. If it takes a while for acknowledgment of a comment, I usually assume it’s a WP issue, or people are really busy. I’m not always able to reply to commentors as fast as I’d like, as there’s often a lot happening around me. Bloggers seem to be a pretty understanding group of folks. 🙂
thehungrytravellers.blog
You’re right – I don’t think we’ve ever skipped down to the beach at home to see the sunrise, yet we’ve done it in loads of places around the world. It’s always such a good feeling, except perhaps when the sun doesn’t play ball.
Sarah Wilkie
True – there have certainly been occasions when we’ve got up early to watch the sunrise only for it to be a damp squib!
sustainabilitea
Love them all, Sarah, but when are you actually home to see the sun rose over those London houses? 😉
Sarah Wilkie
Haha 😂 More often than you might think – despite doing a lot of travelling we’re still at home most of the time!
Pat
Very nice, Sarah. I, too, find it easier to photograph sunrises when I am traveling. Those times provide me with wonderful memories.
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks Pat – yes, the memories of sunrises in various places are always among the best and strongest I find (more so than sunsets, perhaps because I see more of them?)
Anna
I like that you quoted Omar Khayyam. Love his writings and so fitting for this beautiful series of photos! X
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Anna 😘 My mother had a copy of the Ruba’iyat and I always loved that opening stanza in particular.
Anna
Your mum was cool!!!! Mine only has Danielle Steele on the shelf. 🤣🤣🤣
Sarah Wilkie
She introduced me to lots of poetry – she especially loved Keats, and so do I 🙂
Anna
Keats was great. I like Wordsworth and Shelley. X
Sarah Wilkie
Shelley was another of Mum’s favourites. I like him but not as much as Keats. Neither she nor I were quite so keen on Wordsworth.
Margaret
I relish photo’s like yours Sarah as I’m not an early bird and the only time I capture the sun rise is by peering through the window on my way to the toilet! 🙂 Beautiful photo’s and difficult to choose one but I’m making myself do it!….. er….
Palmyra; Oman; or Abu Dhabi 😄 – can’t choose!
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Margaret, and thanks for trying to choose a favourite 😆 No need to do so however, I’m just happy to know you enjoyed the post!