Towards the Rising Sun
The magic of the African twilight
It’s been 4 am when we left our home. To reach an appointment in the city, the capital of the country, we had to leave that early. Nearly 400 kilometers to cover we were driving in the dark.
The first hour of the journey was difficult. It was dark. Pitch black like it only gets in Africa. And the fog was lying on the ground. No traffic on the road we were creeping through the dark.
As we were driving further away from the coast the fog lifted and the full moon appeared to our left-hand side. Stars to be seen in the clear sky. On our right clouds were hanging just above the horizon.
Just where these clouds were hovering is where the sky started to brighten up and eventually turn into bright yellow and orange colors. The road turned slightly and we were driving right into the rising sun.
While my partner was driving I was switching between my DSLR camera and the GoPro trying to capture the magic appearing in front of us. Nowhere else in the world you experience this fascinating event like in Africa.
Mountains to our right were hiding the sun for a little longer while its sun rays were shooting already across the sky. The horizon is on fire. Flaming red-painted clouds decorating the sky.
I can’t stop clicking. Despite driving 120 kph my camera still takes clear shots and keeps the landscape in focus. The colors are bright and the photograph sharp.
The sky above us has reached its beautiful blue and creates a perfect contrast to the orange and red colors of the sunrise.
“There was never a night or a problem that could defeat sunrise or hope.” — B. Williams
Eventually, the sun comes up above the mountains. Right ahead of us. Time to put the sunglasses on and focus back on the road.
While embracing this magical moment. Not one sunrise is like the previous one. So live them at the moment.
What a great way to start the way. Despite the fact of lacking a few hours of sleep the drive was worth it. It’s not every day that you get to experience a phenomenon like this one.
I’m thankful for it.
Every single time.
