When Up there???

When I had newly signed up for learning to fly planes, what I most looked forward to was when as a part of the training, they take you on long cross country flights. It took a long time coming, and finally when it came, the excitement was overwhelmed by the need to do the job properly. Eventually I was deemed fit to go on my own and so I did. Its always a unique experience when you are in an airplane all by yourself. There is joy, there is thrill, there is fear, there is worry, there is maximum concentration, there is immense relaxation, sometimes the sun burns your eyeballs, sometimes you see a flock of white cranes under you against the blue backdrop of a pristine lake. One hour you are amongst the rugged landscape of Banswara and next hour, suddenly you stumble over the beautiful lake palaces of Udaipur. Then there are quirks of nature, since you basically fly straight like a crow does, so if the journey is long enough you might cross the same river three times! Then there are awesome views like the mighty narmada pushing itself into the Arabian sea.
I have always loved the countryside and as a kid (why, for that matter, till date) really enjoyed train journeys coz they gave me a chance to look at trees, rivers, mountains, town, villages, sun, clouds, rain, fog, roads, power pylons, trucks, cars, number plates, refineries, cement factories, windmills, and biggest draw - the diesel locomotive, the ULTIMATE show of raw power.

Not surprising that I took immense pleasure in map reading while in the air. Sort of a summary in your hand and the whole book right out of your windscreen. Invariably I find myself chasing railway lines from 3000 feet up. The biggest kick is when I get a bird's eye view the railway line that I have traveled on many times. A recent trip from Ahmedabad to Bhopal was such an occasion. Crossing the Mumbai-Delhi line near Ratlam, I could see Ujjain, and sure enough I saw the tell-tale signs of the meter gauge line snaking its way out of Ratlam towards Ujjain. Over shipra river and parallel to the city, we joined the Nagda-Bhopal line, through till Maksi where one branched of to Dewas and the other to Guna. Remaining loyal to the electrified line sure enough we saw the edges of the upper lake and the runway to the left of it.

Sometimes I do wonder if anybody in the trains going below, even bothers to look up at me, like I always did. Chasing planes while on ground. Chasing trains while in air.